Original Item: Only One available. This is a nice example of an Early German WWII SA "Stormtrooper" Kepi (Dienstmütze), often called a "Coffee Can Hat." It is made of tan cotton fabric, with a pink top and gold-toned "pip" button on the front. This indicates use by the SA Gruppe Ostmark (Eastern Germany).

Before 1939, to help differentiate the different SA groups, the top of these caps, as well as the collar tabs, were issued in a variety of colors. Additionally, the "button" or "pip" on the front of the cap could be silver or gold, which matched the color of the uniform buttons, which allowed colors to be used more than once. Unfortunately some colors are quite close in shade, and after years of fading, can look similar. This particular Cap, although faded to a light pale pink, shows a bright pink coloration when one lifts the Reichsadler!

These caps were worn by SA personnel, especially the "Stormtrooper" groups. It is made from lightweight tan canvas, with an alloy Reichsadler (National Eagle) on the front top. There is a nice dark brown leather chinstrap, held in place by the correct chocolate brown buttons. The interior has an oil cloth sweatband, with a pressed paper stiffener supporting the crown.

Condition of the kepi is good though it does show quite a bit of wear throughout. Due to the cheap materials used at the time, it is amazing this cap survived at all! Parts of the exterior wire crown stiffener are exposed, as well as one corner of the fiberboard visor stiffener. These caps are rare in any condition, and this is definitely a very good example.

A hard to find SA Stormtrooper Kepi, ready to display!

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.