History

The Deutsche Reichsbahn (German National Railway) was created after the First World War in 1920 by combining the formerly independent state railways of the abolished German Empire into a national organisation. Under NSDAP rule, the German state railway system was reorganised in the 1930s to better meet the needs of the economy and to prepare for war, eventually supplying the front lines with soldiers and supplies. The Reichsbahn also had an infamous role to play in the Holocaust, transporting Jews and other “undesirables” to concentration and extermination camps.

The Bahnschutzpolizei (railway protection police) was founded in 1939 as a merger of the Bahnpolizei (railway police) and the Reichsbahnschutz (railway protection force), the latter being regular railway employees that, beyond their normal functions, additionally served as railway security personnel.
The Bahnschutzpolizei as a railway sub-organisation was made up of policemen that were employed by the Reichsbahn rather than the German police force. Their task was to ensure railway safety as well as preventing railway-related espionage and sabotage. During the war, most members of the Bahnschutzpolizei served in the occupied Eastern European territories.

With the amalgamation of Bahnpolizei and Bahnschutz to Bahnschutzpolizei in 1939, new collar tabs were introduced.

Staatssekretär to Reichsbahnschutzführer collar tabs featured gold-coloured embroidery in an Arabesque design, the so-called “Larisch” embroidery, on black.
Präsident & Vizepräsident collar tabs were in the same design as Staatssekretär to Reichsbahnschutzführer collar tabs, but with piping.
Stabsführer collar tabs were embroidered with two silver-coloured “Litzen” (braid or cord) with 15 “teeth” on each side of the “columns”. These special serrated Litzen were known as Kolbenlitzen (piston braids). The collar tabs are black.
Bahnschutzbevollmächtigter to Oberabteilungsführer collar tabs featured embroidered silver-coloured double “Litzen” with centre braiding on black. In contrast to the ones worn by Enlisted Ranks, these “Litzen” have a separated, more pronounced “chapel”, which is the part shaped like a base of a column at each end of a “Litze”. These are also the reason why this type of “Litze” is known as “Kapellenlitze” (chapel braiding). The collar tabs are black.
Medical personnel wore the same collar tabs, but with a light blue underlay. Band leaders also wore the same collar tabs, but with a red centre stripe.
Abteilungsführer to Musikzugführer collar tabs were the same as Bahnschutzbevollmächtigter to Oberabteilungsführer, but in grey.
Oberzugführer to Unterzugführer (Senior Enlisted Ranks) collar tabs featured double grey “Litzen” with black centre stripes on black and with piping.
Gruppenführer to Anwärter (Junior Enlisted Ranks) collar tabs were in the same design as Oberzugführer to Unterzugführer collar tabs, but without piping.

A new design was introduced in 1941. All collar tabs are black and embroidered in silver colour for higher ranks and grey/white for lower ranks, with the exception of the highest rank, which features gold-coloured embroidery on the collar tabs.

The 1941 pattern is as follows:
Reichsbahnschutzführer wore a gold-coloured winged wheel surrounded by oak leaves within a thick border.
Reichsbahnbevollmächtigte wore a winged wheel with two four-sided stars surrounded by oak leaves within a thick border.
Bezirkshauptführer wore a winged wheel with one four-sided star surrounded by oak leaves within a thick border.
Bezirksführer wore a winged wheel surrounded by oak leaves within a thick border.
Oberabteilungsführer wore a winged wheel with two four-sided stars within a thick border.
Abteilungsführer wore a winged wheel with one four-sided star within a thick border.
Unterabteilungsführer wore a winged wheel within a thick border.
Oberzugführer wore a winged wheel with two four-sided stars within a medium border.
Zugführer wore a winged wheel with one four-sided star within a medium border.
Unterzugführer wore a winged wheel within a medium border.
Gruppenführer wore a winged wheel within a thin border and piping.
Lower ranks wore a winged wheel within a thin border.