Reichsbahn officials receive military medals; German soldiers going home on leave

Poor quality image. Scenes from a ceremony honoring officials of the Reichsbahn. The ceremony takes place in a large hall, filled with uniformed spectators. Reichsverkehrsminister (Reich Minister for Transporation) Dr. Julius Dorpmueller is present. The audience applauds as several men receive the military honor of the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross). The recipients named in the Bundesarchiv description are: Reichsbahn Oberinspektor Hellenthal, Direktionspraesident Grimm, Lokfuehrer Kindervater, Direktionspraesident Lammerts, Lokfuehrer Bierschenk and Direktionspraesident Dr. Godefroy. Josef Goebbels is also present and gives a speech. He is shown only from the back and from a distance. The camera focuses periodically on members of the audience as they listen and applaud; among them is head of the Reich Labor Front (DAF) Robert Ley. There are also some women in the audience. Although the footage is mute, Goebbels' speech is quoted in the Bundesarchiv's description sheet (available in departmental files). It says essentially, "... to work for the railroad today means to hold a great part of the war effort in one's hands. In these hours thousands of trains crisscross Europe under the direction of your comrades. They bring weapons and munitions to all fronts... We stand gathered firm and imperturbable as a people and nation in an unbreakable iron ring around our leader." The clip ends with a shot of the Reichsbahn symbol. 01:40:07 Better quality than the previous clip. Soldiers walking down the gangway of a ship. A sign reads: "Fuehrergeschenk an Fronturlauber Ausgabestelle Memel" [A gift from the fuehrer to vacationing soldiers, distribution point Memel]. The soldiers receive their packages from a woman. They are shown boarding trains in a switching yard. A sign on the train reads, "for army soldiers only" then lists the destinations: Reval, Walk Riga, Milau, Libau, Krottingen. Men board the train and lean out the windows as the train departs.