Sturm Abteilung (SA) Collar Tab and Shoulder Board Identification Guide

Early SA Collar Tabs - 1926-1934

Contemporary photos show collar tabs being worn in the 1926-29 period. Most consisted of two oakleaves, identified as "Captain", or one oak leaf, identified as "Leiutenant". Other collar tabs are present, but the rank is unknown. A rank chart with 18 levels and a color chart for the SA Groups was in place for the SA by 1929. Enforcement was up to the local Group and variations have been noted. The chart and collar tab examples are as follows -

Standartenf�hrer - Sachsen	Truppf�hrer - SudWest - Baden	Scharf�hrer - Nordsee	SA Mann - Hamberg

SA 1st Regulation and 2nd Regulation Collar Tabs

The 1st Regulation of 1934 retained the 18 rank levels and standardized Group colors and piping. Enlisted and NCO tabs were piped in the Group colors, and Officers were piped in the Insignia color (silver or gold). In June 1934, piping was removed from the Enlisted tabs. The 2nd Regulation of 1939 added two levels to the rank structure and changed the tab piping colors. Officers continued to be piped in the Insignia color (silver or gold) but NCOs and Enlisted would also be piped in the Insignia color (white/silver or yellow/gold).

Group Colors - where 2 or more Groups have the same color, the piping and/or insginia colors will be different.

Bright Red Stabschef, Group Staff	Carmine Obersten SA F�hrung, Feldherrnhalle	Dark Wine Red Ostland, Westfalen	Black Niederrhein, Berlin & Brandenburg
Rose Red Ostmark	Apple Green Pommern, Th�ringen	Dark Brown Westmark, Niedersachsen	Emerald Green Sachsen, Nordmark
Orange Yellow Mitte, S�dwest	Sulpfur Yellow Schlesien, Franken	Light Blue Hochland, Bayerische Ostmark	Steel Green Nordsee, Kurpfalz
Navy Blue Hansa, Hessen, SA Marine	Red Brown Donau, Alpland	Blue Gray Sudeten, Weichsel	Cornflower Blue Warthe

SA Rank Collar Tabs

SA-Stabschef	Obergruppenf�hrer	Gruppenf�hrer	Brigadef�hrer
Oberf�hrer	Standartenf�hrer	Obersturmbannf�hrer	Sturmbannf�hrer
Sturmhauptf�hrer	Obersturmf�hrer	Sturmf�hrer	Haupttruppf�hrer - added 1939
Obertruppf�hrer	Truppf�hrer	Oberscharf�hrer	Scharf�hrer
Rottenf�hrer	Sturmmann - Obersturmmann after 1939	SA Mann - SA Sturmmann after 1939	Anwarter (SA Candidate) - added 1942

SA Shoulder Boards

Group Colors are used on early shoulder boards for the lowest rank, and as an underlay for upper ranks with the insignia color (gold or silver) used for the braid. Shoulder Boards were used for several ranks.

Brigadef�hrer to Obergruppenf�hrer Until 1940	Standartef�hrer to Oberberf�hrer Until 1940	Sturmf�hrer to Obersturmf�hrer Until 1940	Mann to Obertruppf�hrer Until 1940	SA Marine Until 1940	Sanitats Strumfuhrer Pommern, Th�ringen	Oberf�hrer to Obergruppenf�hrer 1940-1945	Sturmbannf�hrer to Standartenf�hrer 1940-1945
Sturmf�hrer to Hauptsturmf�hrer 1940-1945	Mann to Hauptruppf�hrer 1940-1945	Wehrmanner - military student 1939-1945

SA Regulation Collar Tabs

Obersturmmann 3rd Sturm, 135th Standarte - Sachsen	Scharf�hrer Sturmbann 2, 415th Standarte - Sachsen	Obersturmf�hrer Sturmbann 2, 109th Standarte - S�dwest	Obersturmbannf�hrer 88th Standarte Staff - Hessen
Rottenf�hrer 61th Brigade Staff - Westmark	SA Mann Sturmbann 1, 76th Brigade Staff - Berlin/Brandenburg	Sturmf�hrer 21st Reserve Sturm, 52nd Standarte - Hansa	Oberscharf�hrer Sturmbann 4, 32nd Reserve Standarte - Hessen
SA Mann 13th Reserve Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg	Obertruppf�hrer 7th Motorized Sturm, 11th Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg	SA Mann 1st Sturm, 86th Motorized Standarte - Hochland	SA Mann 1st Signals Sturm, 160th Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg
Obersturmmann Signals Sturmbann 2, 65th Standarte - S�dwest	Obersturmmann 41st Signals Sturm, 7th Reserve Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg	Oberscharf�hrer 14th Sturm, 9th SA Marine Standarte - Nordsee	Sturmhauptf�hrer SA Marine Group Staff - Nordsee
Sturmf�hrer 2nd SA Marine Obergruppen Staff	SA Mann Reiter, 466th Standarte - West Falen	SA Mann 2nd Reiter Sturm, 117th Standarte - Nordmark	Sturmbannf�hrer 1st Sturm, Leibstandarte - Hochland
Sturmbannf�hrer 23rd Sturm, 16th Standarte "List" - Hochland	SA Mann 4th SA Obergruppen Staff - Westmark	SA Mann SA Group Staff - Niderrehein	Sturmbannf�hrer 1st Standarte Staff - Nordsee
SA Mann SA Band, 5th Standarte - Donau	Scharf�hrer 35th Railway Standarte - Westmark	SA Mann 31st Sturm, 134th Pioneer/Engineer Standarte - Sachsen	SA Mann 5th Pioneer/Engineer Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg
Oberscharf�hrer 14th Sturm, 7th Jager Standarte - Alpenland	Sturmhauptf�hrer 44th Jager Sttandarte - Donau	SA Mann 1st Pioneer Sturm, 3rd Jager Standarte - Alpenland	Scharf�hrer Medical Sturm 1, Standarte 14 - Niedersachsen
Truppf�hrer SA Flieger 1st style - Group Hochland	SA Mann SA Flieger 2nd style - 5th Standarte - Westfalen	Obersturmmann Sturm 51, 1st Security Standarte - Hochland	Standartenf�hrer 22nd Standarte Commanding Officer - Ostmark
Oberf�hrer Group Commanding Officer - Tannenberg	Standartenf�hrer Leibstandarte Commanding Officer - Hochland	Standartenf�hrer Jager Standarten Commanding Officer - Alpenland	Standartenf�hrer Schutzen Standarten Commanding Officer - Westfalen

SA Special Group Collar Tabs - 1938-1945

Sturmf�hrer Adjutant to SA Chief of Staff	Hauptamt Brigadef�hrer Oberst SA Fuhrung	Sturmf�hrer Oberst SA Fuhrung Hauptamt Staff	Obersturmf�hrer Party Rally Facilities Staff
Truppf�hrer Ausbildungswesens Staff	Obersturmf�hrer SA Leadership School Instructor	no rank SA Leadership School Student	Strumbannf�hrer SA Sanitats School Instructor
Sturmf�hrer SA Sanitats Official	Strumbannf�hrer Standarte Feldherrnhalle Officer	Strumbannf�hrer Standarte Feldherrnhalle Signals Officer	SA Mann Standarte Feldherrnhalle Enlisted
Hauptamt Gruppenf�hrer Headquarters - Berlin/Brandenburg	Obertruppf�hrer SA FeldJagerkorps - Berlin	Obersturmf�hrer SA Feldjagerkorps - Prussen	Standarte Ehrenf�hrer SA Honor Leader

Stahlhelm Collar Tabs - 1918-1934

Der Stahlhelm was one of the many paramilitary organizations that arose after the German defeat of World War I. All of the paramilitary organizations were merged into the SA by 1934.

Wehrmann - early pattern	Bundesf�hrer	Divisionsf�hrer	Kompanief�hrer
Oberzugf�hrer	Zugf�hrer	Oberfeldmeister	Feldmeister
Gruppenf�hrer	Wehrmann	Scarnhorst Jungen Group Leader	Scarnhorst Jungen Leader