Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a lovely little SA Sturmabteilung insignia set, consisting of a right side collar tab and sports insignia from SA-Gruppe Hessen. The various different groups of the SA were identified by a color code system, and Marineblau (Navy Blue) could indicate either SA-Gruppe Hansa or SA-Gruppe Hessen. In this case the SA sports insignia is marked with HE, so this set is definitely from SA Gruppe Hessen (SA Group Hesse), a district in the west of Germany, with the principal city being Frankfurt.

The right collar tab is the unit tab with SA uniforms, and the chain stitched IV / 464 indicates the 4th Sturm (company), 464th Standarte (Regiment). The tab measures 3 inches wide by 1 3/8 inches, and is in very good condition. It does show some moth damage to the reverse, as well as some age toning to the front.

The M35 sports shirt insignia measures about 5 1/2 inches in diameter, and shows the SA insignia over HE, with the correct navy blue and white embroidery. During training for the various branches of the armed forces, German Soldiers in WW2 were often issued the M35 sport shirt, which was used during sporting competitions, recreation and basic training. This is one of the embroidered insignia that was attached to the front of the shirt, specific to the branch they were a member of. Embroidery was not easily accomplished on shirts, and it was much more economical to produce the insignia separately, and sew them on later as a completed patch. 

The patch has had the surrounding material cut off, and the edge folded over and stitched, so we believe that it was attached to a shirt at some point. There is also a partial paper RZM tag on the back, , which has unfortunately lost the portion that has all the information present. The insignia shows light age toning with no major damage.

A lovely SA insignia set that will make a great addition to any German WW2 collection!

The S.A.-
TheSturmabteilung, literally Storm Detachment, was the NSDAP Party's original paramilitary. It played a significant role in Adolf AH's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for NSDAP rallies and assemblies, disrupting the meetings of opposing parties, fighting against the paramilitary units of the opposing parties, especially the Red Front Fighters League (Rotfrontkämpferbund) of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), and intimidating Romani, trade unionists, and, especially, Jews – for instance, during the NSDAP boycott of Jewish businesses.

The SA were also called the "Brownshirts" (Braunhemden) from the color of their uniform shirts, similar to Benito Mussolini's blackshirts. The SA developed pseudo-military titles for its members, with ranks that were later adopted by several other NSDAP Party groups, chief amongst them the Schutzstaffel (SS), which originated as a branch of the SA before being separated. Brown-colored shirts were chosen as the SA uniform because a large number of them were cheaply available after World War I, having originally been ordered during the war for colonial troops posted to Germany's former African colonies.

The SA became disempowered after Adolf AH ordered the "blood purge" of 1934. This event became known as the Night of the Long Knives (die Nacht der langen Messer). The SA continued to exist, but was effectively superseded by the SS, although it was not formally dissolved until after NSDAP Germany's final capitulation to the Allies in 1945.