Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic unissued matched pair (left and right) of 1939-1945 Pattern Kragenspiegelen (Collar tabs), often called "Gorget Patches", used to denote rank and district in the SA. These have the correct lacquered buckram internal stiffeners, and are wrapped in light blue felt wool, with silver bullion borders and embroidery. This color scheme indicates use by the SA Gruppe Hochland (Highlands), which was made from the mountainous areas of Southern and Western Bavaria. The major city in this region was München (Munich), the core of the NSDAP movement in Germany.

The collar tabs both have an oak leaf and acorn sprig, showing two leaves, which indicates the SA rank of SA-Oberführer, a senior officer rank that is usually referred to as "Senior Colonel". It is above the rank of an SA-Standartenführer, equivalent to a Colonel, but below an SA-Brigadeführer, equivalent to a Brigadier General. The tabs are in excellent condition, looking to most likely be unissued, with no signs of ever having been attached to a uniform. They show a bit of light wear to the felt, probably from very minor mothing, and both have two pins through them, probably used to attach them to a display board before.

The right side tab even still features the original RZM tag, which is in great shape. The tag has a correct M tax code and features the RZM logo as well as the ink stamped numerical designation of the Herſteller: (manufacturer) A4 / 445, along with production No. 007151.

A great set of SA collar tabs, ready to add to your collection!

The S.A.-
The Sturmabteilung, 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.