{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-waffen-ss-18th-ss-horst-wessel-sa-rune-right-side-collar-tab","title":"Original German WWII Waffen-SS 18th SS “Horst Wessel” SA Rune Right Side Collar Tab","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. Only One Available. This is a scarce-pattern German WWII Waffen-SS right side collar tab manufactured for the \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division “Horst Wessel.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e The tab is constructed from black wool badge cloth and displays the division's distinctive stylized SA rune emblem, machine embroidered in silver-gray thread. These unit collar tabs (\u003cem\u003ekragenspiegel\u003c\/em\u003e) were worn on the right side of the collar, while the left side would have a rank collar tab.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division was formed in early 1944, using elements of the former 1st SS Infantry Brigade as its nucleus. On January 30, 1944, the formation received the honorary title “Horst Wessel.” Horst Wessel had been a member and local leader of the Party’s Sturmabteilung (SA) in Berlin during the late 1920s. After he was shot in January 1930 and died the following month, propaganda transformed him into one of the movement’s best-known political “martyrs.” Wessel had also written the lyrics to \u003cem\u003eDie Fahne hoch\u003c\/em\u003e, which after his death became widely known as the Horst-Wessel-Lied and was adopted as the Party anthem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most distinctive feature of this tab is the stylized, intertwined “SA” emblem, representing the Sturmabteilung. Although this pattern of collar tab was manufactured for the division, surviving research suggests that it was probably never issued on a widespread basis. As a result, examples such as this are generally regarded as late-war produced insignia rather than definitively uniform-worn pieces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present example features a black wool face with neatly executed silver-gray machine embroidery, with the SA device remaining bold and readily recognizable. Only minor age and handling wear is visible to the surrounding cloth. On the reverse, the folded black wool encloses a coarse tan lacquered buckram stiffener, while light-colored machine stitching runs around the perimeter. This construction closely matches surviving late-war examples commonly referred to by collectors as Dachau-style collar tabs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45686275473477,"sku":"ONSV26EMC054","price":295.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/E77FE4DE-314F-4AD5-953B-2FC6E75FB74B.jpg?v=1788545715","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-waffen-ss-18th-ss-horst-wessel-sa-rune-right-side-collar-tab","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}