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Railway Security Units in Germany
European Command
Looking for more information from military/civilian personnel assigned to or associated with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1945 to 1989. If you have any stories or thoughts on the subject, please contact me.

1st MP Service Gp

7747th MP Group History

381st MP Bn

382nd MP Bn

385th MP Bn

388th MP Bn

397th MP Bn
379th AAA Bn

537th AAA Bn

547th AAA Bn

540th MP Bn

570th MP Co

Organization of the EUCOM Provost Marshal, July 1947
1st MP Service Group
1946
(Source: Law, Order, and Security. Occupation Forces in Europe. Hq EUCOM, 1947)

First Military Police Service Group

Security of Materiel - Pilferage

Types of Threats
There were two threats to security of materiel: sabotage and pilferage. Before V-E Day it was generally feared that the problem of sabotage would assume much larger proportions than in effect it did. Pilferage, on the other hand, was expected to decline as soon as the immediate after-effects of the war had worn off and more stable conditions were reached. This hope did not materialize. Pilferage reached unexpected proportions during the first six months of occupation.

Types of Goods Most Subject to Pilferage
Practically all supplies destined for the occupation forces or being part of army surplus stock were subject to pilferage. In the period immediately following after V-E Day thieves generally showed no or little discrimination in selecting their booty. In many cases they were refugees riding illegally on United States supply trains and helping themselves to whatever goods they could seize. They coveted particularly blankets, articles of clothing, fuel, and foodstuffs. As pilferage increased and assumed a pattern of its own it became clear that certain types of goods were of greater value to pilferers than others. These "highly pilferable goods" were essentially those that had a high black market value rather than immediate benefit to the pilferer. In this class were Post Exchange items, mainly cigarettes, and gasoline and food.

Military Railway Guards

a. During operations and until the end of 1945, the mission of railway security was delegated to the Military Railway Service, Theater Service Forces, European Theater (TSFET). It was transferred to the Theater Provost Marshal on 1 January 1946, and executed through the 1st Military Police Service Group. The gaps torn by redeployment in the strength of railway security personnel were slowly repaired by a flow of replacements which began coming in on 1 February. During the first three months of 1946, the 1st Military Police Service Group had nine military police battalions committed for railway security in liberated and occupied countries with a total average strength of 4,000 officers and enlisted men. Of this number more than 2,000 men were assigned to train guard duty and almost 800 as static guards. With the closing out of installations in liberated territory a reorganization of the 1st Military Police Service Group became necessary. The Railway Security Division of this Group became operational on 1 June 1946 with eight military police battalions and an approximate strength of 6,000 officers and enlisted men. Of this number, 2,300 were used as train and 1,000 as static guards.

b. The eight military police battalions assigned to railway security covered the United States occupied zones of Germany and Austria and had headquarters in or near military centers and depot areas. When a guard detail became necessary to accompany a shipment, the depot commander would notify military police personnel of the impending departure of a train. With the exception of special shipments that required extra heavy guard details, two enlisted guards were usually assigned to one train. As the train proceeded from one battalion area to another, the guards were usually changed at battalion boundaries or near battalion headquarters, the usual practice being that the guards be members of the security battalion whose area of responsibility the train was crossing.

c. In order to facilitate operations and investigations eighty German railway detectives were assigned to rail security.

The German Railway Police

In spite of the increased strength of the 1st Military Police Service Group it was clear that United States guards would not be able to protect the large amount of rail traffic against pilferage. Furthermore, it was essential to guard civilian freight traffic more adequately and to train the German railway police for effective guard duty. The German railway police was therefore reorganized on 1 February 1946. Its strength was boosted, at least on paper, to approximately 3,000 men, a large percentage of whom were to be issued weapons by the Theater Provost Marshal. The weapons were to be revolver-type, caliber .38 special, Smith and Wesson Military and Police Model, and marked plainly with the letters "BP" (Bahn-Polizei). All armed police were to carry on their person the prescribed weapons pass attesting to their authority to carry arms. Arming of the police had previously been authorized by a Theater directive with the provision that no completely automatic or German weapons be issued and that denazification of the police organization to be armed be completed prior to the issue of arms. The new mission of the German railway police was to support the 1st Military Police Service Group in guarding United States supplies; guard German supplies; and to maintain law and order at railway stations and along the railway right of way. In practice the German railway police operated under and with the military police in guarding United States supplies; but they operated alone in guarding of German traffic. In the second quarter of 1946 the strength of the force was 2,000 of which approximately 1,400 were armed. Most of these men were used as static guards in marshalling yards thus freeing American troops for train guard duty. The German policemen were not allowed to cross international boundaries or occupation zone frontiers and therefore were unsuitable as train guards. With the phasing out of United States installations in liberated territory, the tendency has been to employ the Germans within Germany, also as train guards. Toward the end of June 1946, the German railway guards were assigned sixty police dogs to aid in the fulfillment of their mission. The men ware paid by the German railways and were in a civil service category.

Security of United States Supplies in Transit.

a. In order further to improve the security of supplies in transit, the standing operating procedure on the subject was amended 22 June 1946 to include exact prescriptions as to the proper loading of railcars, a task which had hitherto been performed in a negligent manner. Goods subject to a high pilferage rate were to be loaded only in boxcars and inspected prior to sealing the cars. The following priority was established for the assignment of guards (1) mail; (2) Army Exchange Service merchandise and Special Service supplies; (3) medical supplies; (4) dependents' household goods; (5) rations; (6) clothing; (7 & 8) petroleum, oil, and lubricants, respectively packaged and bulk; (9) other supplies. In case of special shipments such as liquor and art treasures, the shipper was to contact the nearest unit for an adequate guard detail.

b. The Theater Provost Marshal was responsible for the security of supplies moving by rail within the Theater. This responsibility began after supplies had been properly loaded and cars wired, sealed and documented, and ended with delivery of the cars to the consignee. Responsibility for the supplies included adequate guard coverage and inspection of seals on every car at all stops. The Office of Military Government for Germany was responsible for the routing of trains and for other shipping details. Postal authorities were to insure that mail was shipped in steel cars and that all handling of mail bags was closely supervised. The consignees were responsible for inspection immediately upon arrival of all incoming shipments to determine whether external evidence of pilferage existed and for proper guarding of supplies after acceptance.

(Source: The Administrative Services, 1 July 1946 - 30 June 1947. Volume III, The Second Year of the Occupation. Hq EUCOM, 1947)
The First Military Police Group was responsible for the security of all United States mail and supplies in transit by rail in occupied Germany, including loaded cars which were set out in rail yards on discovery of mechanical defects. It was also responsible for the security of shipments for Allied nations and UNRRA, and of others not strictly military in nature. From time to time, the guarding of special shipments was assigned to the Group. The Group was not responsible for the security of passenger trains, railway lines, or railway installations except as incidental to their assigned duties. The security of passenger trains was the responsibility of train commanders, who operated under the Transportation Corps, OMGUS; that of railway lines and installations was the responsibility of senior commanders in the areas where railway lines or installations were located.

Original plans called for eight security battalions to be strategically located throughout Europe, except Austria, near ports, dumps, and supply installations, to provide guards for supply trains at points of origin. As of 1 July 1946, units were located at Versailles and at the following points in Germany: Karlsruhe, Klein-Auheim, Bietigheim, Bremen, Kassel, and Fürth. By the end of September, the 383rd MP Service Battalion at Versailles was moving to its new station at Mannheim, Germany. On 31 August the 6869th MP Headquarters Detachment was allotted to Group headquarters for the purpose of staffing the German Railway Police Section, composed at that time of approximately 2,800 German policemen, who performed most static guard duty in railway yards. In the last quarter of the period under review, the 478th Criminal Investigation Detachment was assigned to the group to assist in investigation of pilfered goods.

As of 30 June 1947, railway security was being carried out by four military police service battalions under the administration of the First Military Police group, in coordination with the 478th Criminal Investigation Detachment and the German Railway Police force, which by this time numbered 3,790 policemen.
1947
(Source: The Administrative Services, 1 July 1947 - 30 September 1947. Volume III, The Third Year of the Occupation, First Quarter. Hq EUCOM, 1948)
Railway Security Division, EUCOM Provost Marshal

Organization.
On 1 July 1947, the Railway Security Division employed four Military Police Service Battalions and the German Railway Police to guard all Army mail and supplies in transit by rail in occupied Germany. During the period under review, the 397th Military Police Service Battalion, assigned to the First Military District, was inactivated, leaving two battalions (the 381st and 385th) in the Second Military District and one (the 388th) in the Bremen Enclave. The area formerly covered by the inactivated battalion was absorbed into the areas guarded by the three remaining battalions. These units continued to function under the operational control of the EUCOM Provost Marshal and under administration of the 1st Military Police Service Group.

By 30 September, the number of German railway policemen had increased to 4,130. The Train Escort Service, a component of the German Railway Police, employed 882 policemen as riders to assist in guarding American freight and high priority German freight such as relief supplies. The remainder of the force was employed as follows: 2,972 policemen performed static guard duties in rail yards and stations, under the direct supervision of a Resident Field Director who was either a US Army officer or a Department of the Army civilian employee; 239 were assigned to the Criminal Investigation Service; and 37 were assigned to headquarters.

The 7747th Military Police Security Detachment (formerly the 6869th) which staffed the German Railway Police Section in Group headquarters, was authorized 1,800 additional weapons which made possible the arming of all operational personnel in the German Railway Police. Since the detachment had an allowance of only twelve enlisted men, the majority employed in the headquarters, enlisted men assistants to the Resident Field Directors of each German Railway Police District were furnished by the Military Police Service Battalions.

Reorganization of the Criminal Investigation Service (German Railway Police) attached to the Group was begun during the quarter under review. This included the assignment of an investigator as an assistant to the Resident Field Director in each district for the purpose of supervising investigating activities. Other plans were under way for integration of facilities of the American component with those of the German Criminal Police of the three Länder, for specialized training of agents in scientific investigation, and the establishment of dog units for tracking down pilferage.

Problems.
Railway security units encountered some difficulty in safeguarding shipment of Civil Affairs relief goods consigned from German installations to German consignees, as cars carrying these goods, unlike similar shipments traveling under US Army sponsorship, did not carry United States documentation or seals and therefore were easily accessible to pilferers. To remedy the situation, plans were made for a special seal to be used on these second priority shipments to distinguish them from other German loads and thus facilitate their safeguarding.

A chronic personnel shortage existed and all security battalions operated under strength during the period under review. Consequently, upon inactivation of the 397th Military Police Service Battalion, the majority of its personnel was absorbed by the remaining three battalions.

Although investigators' case reports showed improvements as a result of courses for investigators held at Group headquarters, which were attended by Special Investigation Services agents, the follow-up of cases to conviction and sentence of the offenders lagged considerably. It was planned to urge unit commanders and investigation officers to follow through all cases to trials and sentences.

Morale and efficiency of German railway policemen was improved as a result of authority received, during the period, from the Bipartite Control group to enable them to draw the heavy workers ration supplemental to the normal ration. Serviceable clothing was also authorized for issue to German railway policemen from US Army stocks.

Operations.
During the quarter under review, the three railway security battalions, averaging 98 officers and 1,860 men in strength, and 4,130 German railway policemen, were responsible for the security of 26,971 separate trains, consisting of 447,077 cars and traveling a total of 1,233,816 miles. Of the total number of trains, 16,031 comprising 255,935 cars were guarded, while 10,940 trains of 191,142 cars were unguarded. Of the guarded cars, 252 were pilfered; of the unguarded cars, 57 were pilfered. Nine hundred eighty five cars were set out by the police because of mechanical difficulties. The following tabulation shows the number of arrests reported by the railway security units.
(a)
Ry Emp
(b)
Other
Ger
(c)
DP's
(d)
GRP's
Killed
Wounded
Totals
  
Jul 47
18
54
5
3
1
3
84
  
Aug 47
25
41
0
3
2
4
75
  
Sep 47
30
42
0
1
0
0
73
  
 
Totals
73
137
5
7
3
7
232
(a) Railway employees
(b) Other Germans
(c) Displaced Persons
(d) German Railway Police

The Dollar value of pilferage losses of United States supplies in transit decreased from about $18,000 in July to approximately $16,000 in September.
7747th MP Group (Railway Security)
1948
(Source: The Administrative Services, 1 July - 31 December 1948. Volume III, The Fourth Year of the Occupation. Hq EUCOM, 1949)

7747th Military Police Railway Security Group

Organization
a. Organziation 1 July 1948
As of 1 July, railway security work was carried on through the 7747th Military Police Railway Security Detachment, and the 381st, 385th, and 388th Military Police Service Battalions. The 7747th Military Police Railway Security Detachment was redesignated on 10 July the 7747th Military Police Service Group, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, and on 1 September the name was changed to the 7747th Military Police Railway Security Group. The 381st Military Police Service Battalion was inactivated at the beginning of the period, and the 385th and 388th Military Police Service Battalions were rendered inoperational on 1 September.

b. Organization on 31 December 1948

 
After 1 September, the railway security work was performed exclusively through the 7747th Military Police Railway Security Group, under the operational supervision of the Military Police Branch (Note: part of the EUCOM Provost Marshal Division). The Group, whose headquarters was in Frankfurt, was divided into two sections, called Zone 1 and Zone 2, and their respective headquarters, known as Zonal Operational Contact Points, were located at Nürnberg and Göttingen. The territory supervised through these zonal headquarters was subdivided into operational areas served by railway security detachments, designated letters "A" through "G," as shown on the organizational chart of the 7747th Military Police Railway Security Group. (See chart to left.) These detachments were subdivided into eighteen active security detachments, reduced in October to eleven.

NOTE: per STATION LIST 1 Sept 1948 - Headquarters of the 385th had been located at Zirndorf; headquarters of the 388th was at Göttingen.
Personnel
a. Key Personnel
On 17 November, Capt John Sopka was appointed Director of Zone 1, replacing Lt Col Herman H. Spoede (sp?), who assumed command of the 7747th Military Police Railway Security Group on 4 December, in the place of Col Carl F. Duffner (corrected).

b. Strength
The authorized strength on 1 July was 93 officers and 1,842 enlisted men. The actual strength was 75 and 1,065, respectively. On 1 September, the authorized strength was reduced to 42 officers and 495 enlisted men, while actual strength fell to 39 officers and 429 enlisted men. The understrength resulted from the inactivation of the 381st MP Service Battalion and the action taken on 1 September to render inoperational the 385th and 388th MP Service Battalions. This understrength was considered less serious, however, because of the fact that more security work was being undertaken by the German railway police and consequently fewer military railway police were required.

c. Administration
The wide dispersal of railway security detachments created several administrative problems. Court-martial jurisdiction over the enlisted personnel of a detachment was made a responsibility of the nearest military post. The question of eliminating undesirable personnel continued to be a headquarters responsibility, and provision was made for the convening of a Board of Officers wherever the individual concerned was located. Individual payrolls were submitted to the various military posts, the system of a consolidated payroll and payment by check having proved unsatisfactory.

d. Training
In view of the loss of personnel by redeployment and reorganization in railway security work, the two battalion military training schools were consolidated during August into one Group Training School, located at first in Nürnberg, and later, upon arrival of the 16th Infantry, in Frankfurt. Directed by one Group officer, the school conducted a series of 3-week training classes of forty men each. In November it was decided to give more training in weapons and range firing and the training period was extended three days. A total of 160 men completed the course during the period (1 July - 31 Dec 1948).

Shipments Guarded
During the period, military railway security personnel guarded 6,664 trains comprising 46,021 cars, and traveled 769,065 miles. Among the shipments were a consignment of paintings from the United States valued at $25,000,000; a reparation shipment of 59,000,000 Italian Lire (approximately $100,000) from Frankfurt to Brennero, Italy; 269 cars of fuel to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base; 223 cars of relief supplies from Munich for the survivors of the Ludwigshafen fire disaster; and 3,029 cars of classified shipments consigned to various places in Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, and France. Twenty enlisted personnel were regularly assigned to guard classified shipments and the Group commanding officer was authorized to call upon the U.S. Constabulary, or the installation or activity making the shipment, for additional guard personnel. Guards escorted all shipments through the Berlin corridor. Three officers and twenty-one (?) enlisted men were specially detailed for this work.

Pilferage
The number and dollar value of pilferage decreased. Coal pilferages by railway personnel dropped 28 percent, and there were fewer pilferages of household goods, but more of post exchange supplies. The over-all improvement was attributed to several factors: old gangs of large-scale pilferers had been ferreted out and broken up; currency reform had proved an incentive to legitimate employment; and there was a marked improvement in the German railway police as the result of increasing efficiency and better employment practices.

Investigations
When the Reichsbahn became a liability carrier, on 16 November, it was decided to transfer the responsibility for investigating pilferages of United States supplies from the Criminal Investigation Service (CIS) of the German Railway Police to its US Army counterpart, the Special Investigation Section (SIS) of the 7747th MP Railway Security Group. Accordingly, plans were formulated for the assignment of areas to SIS personnel, and providing for assistance by members of the CIS. These plans were to become effective 1 January 1949.
 
If you have more information on the history or organization of the 7747 MP Railway Security Group, please contact me.
1949
(Source: Email from Henry J. Conner, 7747th MP Gp, 1949-1951)
I was assigned to the 7747 MPs in Jan. 1949. After completion of a company MP School, I was assigned to the Giessen Detachment. Our primary mission there was to check the freight trains coming from Bremerhaven, and going to points south. We checked the seals on the doors of all freight cars with American goods on them. Usually we would be accompanied by a German Railway policeman. The stickers on each car had a color code that indicated what was in the cars --- PX goods, ordnance, etc. Our office was a railroad passenger car located on a siding at the railroad station. There were only about eight men and an officer in this detachment. After I was there for eight months, this detachment was closed, and the men assigned to the headquarters in Frankfurt. The primary mission there was policing all military passenger trains. This sometimes was a complete American train, or a few cars attached to a German train. Our job was to keep order, check passes and orders, and help the passengers in any way that we could. Only American military and dependants were allowed to ride on these trains.

We also had a daily mail run to Paris every day. There was a car attached to the Orient Express with mail for the graves registration unit in Paris. There would be two MPs on that train guarding the mail. This was a night run. We would spend the day in Paris and return the following nite.

We had regular daily trains to Bamberg, Munich, Garmisch, (one at night, and one daytime) Berlin, and others that I can't remember. We also had some other runs although not daily, to Bonn, Heidelberg, and others. The Berlin run was manned by two MPs in the passenger section, with an officer from the Transportion Corps, and one MP with a carbine, guarding the mail, which was in a separate car attached to the train. We always had to stop in Helmstedt, the Russian check point, where a Russian officer would check the manifest. It was not uncommon for the train to be pulled onto a siding and delayed if there was something or somebody on the manifest that was in question.

We were at times called on to do some things that weren't in our job description. At one point, we escorted the Queen of the Netherlands. She was coming down through the British Zone and going to the south somewhere. The British escorted her to Göttingen (which was in the British Zone). Two of us from the unit were driven to Göttingen from Frankfurt. We then boarded the train and escorted the Queen to Frankfurt, where a couple of our guys escorted her from that point.

We also guarded some money shipments by air from Frankfurt to Berlin. It was a large sum of German money being brought from the Frankfurt bank to the bank in Berlin. I'm sure that they thought it would be safer by air than traveling about 100 mile by rail through the Russian Zone. We would have two MPs flying and two riding shot gun with Sub Tom machine guns from the bank to the plane. I did both jobs on two separate occasions.

We also rode freight trains, if the shipment was valuable and warranted protection. I once guarded a train from Frankfurt to Bremerhaven with about a dozen cars on it. We were told that it was silver being sent to the states, but I can't confirm that. Must have been something to warrant five MPs and an Officer.

Before I got there, most of the freight trains with military goods on them were guarded by our unit, but as the pilferage rate went down, they weren't needed as before.

Most of our people went to the MP School in Oberammergau for five weeks. The 7747 MP was awarded the Medal for Humane Action, Berlin Airlift Device.
 
(Source: Email from Henry "Ted" Asselin, Det F, Braunschweig, 1949-51)
I was in the 7747 MP Railway Security Group 1949-51. My time with the 7747 are my most satisfying memories of 22 years service. We really had a bunch of wild guys. Remember that there was no draft and a lot of the fellows stayed in the service after WWII. Being just 17 years old from a small town in N.H. I was impressed. This is the first info I have seen on the 7747th.

I was assigned to 7747 MP Railway Security Group in Feb 1949. First station after RR School in Frankfurt was Bebra (Det G). Guarding rail yards and riding the freight trains. I remember clearly setting in empty boxcars with both doors open with a case of c-rations and 5 gals of water riding the rails guarding one or two special cars.

Before the (Berlin) airlift was lifted I was transferred to the Braunschweig Detachment (Det F) to get ready to take frieght trains into Berlin. We had two crews ready to go and would rotate duty days. When the airlift lifted, my crew took the second train into the city. I cannot remember the train commander or any of the other guys but I do remember that our interpeter was SSG Paul Speath from MN. I really enjoyed those trips through the Russian Zone.

I remember on one occasion we stopped in Helmstedt to change crews as usual. The train Commander and Interpeter decided to have a couple of brews. Well they got to feeling pretty good. When we got to the Russian checkpoint, low and behold the Russians were celebrating something and they were singing, dancing and pouring down the vodka. The Russian Officer and our train commander decided to trade hats. Well as we got the green light, we jumped onto the train and the commander and interpreter were running like heck to catch the train, still with the russian cap on his head. The russian officer was chasing the commander, fortunately the train was moving and we left the yards. I just knew that we would be stopped somewhere to get the cap back and ship us off to the "salt mines". Nothing happened, but when we pulled into Lichterfelder-West Bahnhof, Berlin our train Commander, along with a hang-over, crept off the train wearing that Russian Cap with the big red star, hoping not to be noticed. He wasn't. There are lots of good stories.

I just returned from a visit in Europe where I returned to Braunschwieg (Det F) where I was stationed. With help of the locals I found the building where Det F was located. It had not changed. The large building where Polish DP's were living and the Russian Military Attache building still looked the same. German City Police now occupy the building where Det F was located.

Took a side trip to Helmstedt, where we stopped to change railroad crews before we reached the Russian checkpoint at Marianborn(sic). Good memories.
Ted Asselin
 
(Source: Email from Robert Spall)

Robert Spall
  
I was with the 7747th Railway Guard Bn., later the 540th Railway Guard Bn., from 1949 to 1952.

I still recall my life at that time and the camaraderie with all my fellow MPs. I remember almost every day I was there stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.
 
(Source: Services, Volume III, The First Year of the Occupation. Hq EUCOM, 1946)
 
2nd Military Railway Service

The General Headquarters, Military Railway Service, was an excempted command, responsible to the Chief of Transportation(, USFET), except for certain administrative authority retained by Base Sections of the Communications Zone (Com Z).

It supervised the 1st Military Railway Service, operating south and west of Paris, France, and the 2nd Military Railway Service, operating north and east of Paris.

Railway Grand Divisions, usually coinciding with base sections, operated the railways and were allocated troops on the basis of track mileage.

In the US Zone of Germany there were two main railway lines, one from Hanau through Würzburg to Nürnberg and the other from Karlsruhe through Ulm to Munich and beyond.

The line from Bremen by way of Hannover and Göttingen to Eichenberg, near Kassel in the US Zone, was opened in June 1945 and its capacity had reached 24,000 tons daily a month later.
United States military railway service to Vienna started on August 7 1945 with two trains operating between Linz and Vienna. A third train, providing fast passenger and mail services, made its first run from Salzburg on 15 September 1945. Other lines in the US Zone of Germany carried traffic into Austria by way of Passau in the north and Salzburg in the south.
I will cover the 2nd Military Railway Service with more detail under the Transportation Section sometime in the future

381st MP Service Bn personnel relax between missions at Giessen Bahnhof, 1947
397th MP Service Battalion
1946
(Source: Email from Bill Bond, 1947)
I was transfered to the 397th MP Sv Bn approx in late 1946 at Fuerth Ger. I served as HQ Co S-4 under Capt WW Miller. Bn Com was Lt Col Walker (if my memory is correct) His Adj was Lt Frank X Fowler and M/Sgt Kerwin.

Some time later I was moved to D Company at Wuerzburg and served as a train guard (riding the rails) over Germany. We were having pilferage of shipped goods and the RR workers were involved. Example: when trains stopped while moving thru areas, we were supposed to leave the Caboose and walk along our cars as guards. Walking along a 50+car train could leave us too far from the caboose when the train began to move again. Many times this occurred and we were forced to mount any available car and ride it thru the night during winter.

Also, when stopping on a curve in the track, we could not see the hidden section of train, making that area a good location for pilferage. Sometimes it was reported. Upon reporting loss of ammo back at destination, needed to toss (fire) a round or two at the locomotive or under the cars, between the wheels beyond the curve. This served to detour many pilferages.

Swinging onto a moving train must be done at a slower speed. You can then climb up the ladder and sit the trip out to the next stop. The RR employees had many tricks! When we began to twist rebar rods as car locks, pilferage began to decline.

After being moved to guarding the rail yards, at this one was the "Hump", where the cars were changed from one train to another. This also involved pilferage. When the 397 was inactivated, I was moved to the 385 MP Sv Bn at Zirndorf where I was assigned to the Investigative Section and sent to school for such. After school, I was detached to the Ger RR Police in Regensburg and sent to Hof on the Czech border, as a Special Investigator SIS under the Provost Marshal Gen.

This developed into a criminal investigation of a border town which moved the freight of thr RR over the border east to then Czech and East soviet control. This was in 1948. Lasted several months and concluded in a Military Gov trial for 108 Ger RR employes. A complete RR station involved in pilferage. This trial was ended during the communist take over of Czech.

My enlistment in the Regular Army came to completion soon thereafter. I was shipped back to the States and home.

Hope this is a help for the history of a small part of this time of the Cold War era. The RR Security was an interesting time for us. I'm now 84 yrs, disabled, trying to add something to our history. I'm involved in military history via recording family mil records for our family Genealogy. All of my records were burned in the 1973 St Louis fires.

PS: I want to correct the 1st MP Sv Gp commanding officer's name. You have him as Carl F. Laffer. The correct name is Col Carl F. Duffner. We got him from the WWII command of the 75th Infantry Division, Regimental commander of the 290 Inf Reg. Was involved in the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944, as commander of the 290 Regt. To us, he was a very strict leader, noted as a WWI Ger soldier, also noted as the 3rd ranking Col in US Army. Had a German driver for his jeep and, as I remember, sent our motor pool officer to a then black motor pool after an argument with his jeep driver. Yes, I knew him well.
537th AAA Battalion (Railway Guard)
1946

Railway Security Pamphlet, 1946 (Webmaster's collection)
 
(Source: American Military Police in Europe, 1945-1991, by Robert L. Gunnarsson, Sr., 2011)
According to Mr. Gunnarsson, four AAA Battalions (115th, 397th, 537th & 547th AAA Bns) were reassigned to the Theater Provost Marshal (sometime in late 1945) and given the operational mission of providing railway security in Germany.

This was necessary due to the increase of movement by rail of US military supplies throughout the Occupation Zone and the increase in theft of these supplies by individuals and German and DP gangs.

In December 1945, the four AAA battalions were added to the railway security force.

By June 1, 1946, the AAA units were removed from the Group and inactivated.