Presented to Brigadier General George C. Stewart 708th Railway Grand Division June 1945

Captured April 1945 Germany

Wilhelm Saris let us know his book about German Reichsbahn Railway Eagle was released


You may purchase a copy here www.bender-publishing.com

Previous article about the project here http://militaryrailwayservice.blogspot.com/2013/04/german-deutsche-reichsbahn-railway.html

Mr F. A. Murphy Presentation of a plaque with a RMB German Reichsbahn-eagle and two affixed metal plates by Major W.H. Hathaway to Mr F.A. Murphy. (1 May 1945)

This eagle was captured and returned to the US after the war by Capt. William McCormick. McCormick was a member of the 772nd Battalion and rolled over the Rhine into Mainz Germany in 1945 for the express purpose of rebuilding the rail lines and communications. During his exposure to the German Railway system he managed to obtain a railroad eagle and he additionally managed to obtain the letters mounted under it. He took care removing the items as the studs are present not only on the bird but on the letters themselves. It was packed carefully in a unique box and sent home to his wife in Georgia. The eagle measures at 600mm (24.5″) and is undamaged retaining it’s studs. The letters retain their studs and measure approx. 3.5 inches in height. In addition, period correspondence, newspaper articles, and the unit history for the 722nd are included in the collection as well as notes to his wife on the holiday. Note:

Read more HERE

Thanks again to Wilhelm !  

Wilhelm P.B.R. Saris (Netherlands); eagle removed by the 708th Railway Grand Division, courtesy Paul Ayerst from Canada. Great presentation of a German Reichsbahn-eagle captured by the 708th Railway Grand Division at Hirson in France, September 3rd, 1944, mounted on a nice wooden plaque.

The eagle is painted over in silver. In German, during the Third Reich, such an eagle was phrased as Hoheitszeichen (national emblem).

Again thanks to Wilhelm for these...

 Presentation of a plaque with a German Reichsbahn-eagle and two affixed metal plates by Colonel W.S. Carr of the 708th Railway Grand Division to Brigade-General Clarance L. Burpee (commander of the Second Military Railway Service), at the German city of Bremerhaven in August 1945.

In the back standing a person with the wooden box to put the eagle into!
One of the engines was named to the commander of the unit as “COL. CARR SPECIAL, 1001” with the unit-number 708 RGD.

Thanks : Wilhelm P.B.R. Saris (Netherlands); material 708th Railway Grand Division, courtesy Bill Shea from the Ruptured Duck, Hubbartston (USA).

Another great Reichsbahn Eagle sent to us from Wilhelm ( who is researching for a book ) , this time the eagle is from Capt. William McCormick of the 722nd Railway Operating Battalion Co. A - this is how the eagle was sent to his wife.

Thanks Wilhelm and Kristian !!
Material provides thanks to :Wilhelm P.B.R. Saris, (Netherlands)  and Kristian Anderson (USA).

735th Railway Operating Battalion Co. C
Sgt J.F. Deaton - Conductor
T/4 Frank Hacken - Eng.
T/5 F.J. Moschini  - Frmn'
P.F.C. C.J. Sobrito  - Flgmn





This Nazi rail car emblem commonly called a Reichsbahn Eagle came from car No 84054 was captured by these men.

The old Deutsche Reichsbahn (DRB) was set up in 1920, under a provision in the Weimar Constitution, to take over the seven individual state railways in Germany at that time. Its existence ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War
http://www.worldrailfans.info/Articles/Europe/GDRGwagons.shtml 

Thanks very much to Wilhem Saris of the Netherlands and Robert Newbrough for sharing this amazing artifact with the blog.
If you know anything more about this or the men listed here please email me , Nancy cunningb2@gmail.com 

Wilhelm Saris, eagle courtesy Robert Newbrough of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania size: 62.9 cm wingspan and 34.3 cm height. (Aluminium-Präzisionsguss A.G. at Nowawes inGermany).