Original Items: Only One Set Available. Brown was to become the official color of the N.S.D.A.P. and S.A. by circumstance rather than design. A large stockpile of discounted, surplus WWI tropical brown shirts and fabric, intended for wear in East Africa, were located in Austria in 1924 and purchased by the NSDAP as a temporary measure to bring uniformity of dress to their party members. In November of 1926 the brown shirt was officially introduced, and retained, as the basic uniform item for the N.S.D.A.P. and S.A., and was eventually adopted by other political organizations such as the H.J., D.A.F., and the N.S.K.K..

As with the military organizations during the NSDAP period, the various paramilitary organizations under the NSDAP also engaged in sports training and outdoor activities, both as a way to increase the level of physical fitness, and also as a way to instill comradery among the members of the organization. They were issued shirts in the typical golden brown used by the NSDAP / SA, along with brown shorts. This is a very nice unissued set, and both the shirt and the shorts retain the original issue markings.

The shirt is a pullover type with 4 buttons in the front, and is marked with 38 under the collar, which could be the size. The lower hem is marked with 1 37 RADBAF, indicating this was most likely processed through an RAD clothing depot in 1937, and there is also a maker marking on the inside of the front closure, which we unfortunately are not able to completely read. Condition is excellent, and shows no signs of use.

The shorts are simply made, with a drawstring at the waist, and are marked 11 39 RADBA M/I at the back, so they were probably processed through an RAD clothing depot in 1939. The inside of the rear left hem is marked with EHU 938/II, possibly indicating the maker.

A great "Brown Shirt" Sports set, ready to add to your collection!

Physical fitness and competition were two concepts that were highly valued in the ideology of the Third Reich. All kinds of sports clubs and organizations flourished in the years before WWII, with larger Reich level organizations supervising athletics, promoting events and issuing awards for sport achievement. The various NSDAP era civil, political, military and paramilitary organizations also promoted or even mandated exercise and sports for their members. To facilitate this, these organizations instituted sport uniforms, which typically included sport shoes, and for warm weather, shorts and a knit tank top with a woven emblem specific to that organization. In cold weather, the sport uniform generally included dark colored knit trousers and a sweatshirt, usually also with the sports-specific organizational emblem. The woven organizational emblem patch used on the sports patch was often a rather large patch, making these appealing souvenirs for Allied troops as they swept into Germany. Some types of the sports patches are very common today, though intact sports clothing is rarer, and some sports emblems for smaller organizations, made in limited numbers, are very rare.