Original Item: One-of-a-kind. 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..

This is a very nice example of a German WWII SA "Brown Shirt" uniform tunic, complete with the correct brown corduroy jodhpurs that complete the uniform. Both parts show some wear, but are totally correct. We checked, and were not able to locate any maker or other markings inside. The shirt has all the correct insignia for the period, including a tack-stitched NSDAP / SA armelbinde (armband) on the left sleeve. The kragenpatten (collar tabs) and schulterklappe (shoulder strap) all have dunkelbraun (dark brown) backgrounds, which with the gold buttons and "pips" indicates the Westmark SA gruppe (group), which encompassed the area around Saarbrücken, in the extreme West of Germany.

The right collar tab is the unit tab, and 4 / 16 indicates the 4th Sturm (company), 16th Standarte (Regiment). The left collar tab has two "pips" over two rows of white / black / white ribbon, for the Senior NCO rank SA-Haupttruppführer (SA-Chief troop leader), a platoon leader equivalent to a German Army Stabsfeldwebel (Sergeant Major). The right shoulder strap has two rows of black/white double cord, correct for an NCO. The corduroy jodphurs are relatively standard, and are a bit darker at the bottom, from being underneath the boots that the SA wore.

Overall condition of the uniform is very nice, showing light wear from service, especially around the collar area of the shirt. The fabric is somewhat worn through in places, and there are some stitched repairs. Otherwise, the uniform is solid.

A very nice example of an SA "Brown Shirt" NCO uniform with pants, ready to display!

Approx. Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 11.5”
Shoulder to sleeve: 24”
Shoulder to shoulder: 18”
Chest width: 21.5"
Waist width: 16.5”
Inseam: 22"
Hip width: 20”
Front length: 22"

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.