German SA “Foot” EM Shoulder Board

A second pattern (1939) shoulder board, 25mm wide and 11cm long, whose rounded end has a buttonhole. The upper surface of the board is comprised of dual rows of doubled brown-colored cord, segmented with narrow silver-aluminum chevrons, as worn by all enlisted and non-commissioned officer ranks. Its stiff underside is in light grey wool, which extends along the edge to form visible piping, and which indicates that the wearer’s branch of service was that of the foot SA. Complete with original RZM tag.

The SA, “Sturmabteilung” (Storm-troops), were originally formed in August of 1921 as a protective guard unit for the political leaders of the fledgling NSDAP, “Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei” (National-Socialist German Worker’s-Party). As with the Nazi party, the SA was structured along para-military lines. Most of its recruits were from the ranks of the various “Freikorps” groups of the day, composed mainly of disgruntled ex-soldiers, and they were first utilized at a Nazi party meeting in Munich in November of 1921.