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.

The Railway Water Protection Police dagger is one of the rarest daggers of the Third Reich period, due to the very small number of leaders of the Railway Protection Police sub-unit specifically tasked to police railways in the vicinity of harbours, canals, and inland waterways.
The design is the same as that of the Army dagger, except for the grip being dark purple to black and the pommel featuring a sunwheel-style swastika with curved arms. The scabbard features horizontally grooved hanger bands.

The dagger with scabbard is about 400mm long. The blade’s length is between 250 and 270mm. Blades were often cross-grained polished. Rare examples are nickel-plated.

All metal fittings were silver plated. The grip has a clockwise carved groove. The cross guard features a national eagle emblem.