BACKGROUND: When Hitler and the NSDAP gained power in January 1933 the German railway system was maintained and administered by two civilian organizations, the DR, Deutsches Reichsbahn, (German National Railway), and the, DR-G, Deutsches Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft, (German National Railway-Corporation), which were overseen by the national government. Both the DR, and the DR-G were uniformed organizations responsible for all the railways within Greater Germany and eventually in the occupied areas. In February 1937 in a restructuring of the national railways the DR-G was absorbed into the DR. The uniforms and insignia of the DR personnel were modified numerous times during the Third Reich including, July 1935 , June 1936, February 1941, September 1941 and February 1942. As a civilian organization DR personnel were not graded with ranks but were assigned positions as officials. One of the new insignia items introduced in September 1941 was the sleeve eagle that was utilized to differentiate between the four German Railway directorates. The directorates consisted of the, WVD, the Wehrmacht Verkehrsdirektion, (Armed Forces Traffic Directorate), the, RVD, the Reichsverkersdirektion, (State Traffic Directorate), the, HVD, the Hauptverkehrsdirektion, (Central Traffic Directorate), and the, RBD, the Reichsbahndirektion (National Railway Directorate). These four directorates were divided into divisions based on important railway yards or areas.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Machine embroidered national eagle over script "RBD Munster" in bright yellow threads on a light weight, half-moon black rayon base. RBD is the Reichsbahndirektion (directorate), and Munster would be the division.