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 -

Standartenführer - Sachsen	Truppführer - SudWest - Baden	Scharführer - 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 Führung, Feldherrnhalle	Dark Wine Red Ostland, Westfalen	Black Niederrhein, Berlin & Brandenburg
Rose Red Ostmark	Apple Green Pommern, Thüringen	Dark Brown Westmark, Niedersachsen	Emerald Green Sachsen, Nordmark
Orange Yellow Mitte, Südwest	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	Obergruppenführer	Gruppenführer	Brigadeführer
Oberführer	Standartenführer	Obersturmbannführer	Sturmbannführer
Sturmhauptführer	Obersturmführer	Sturmführer	Haupttruppführer - added 1939
Obertruppführer	Truppführer	Oberscharführer	Scharführer
Rottenführer	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.

Brigadeführer to Obergruppenführer Until 1940	Standarteführer to Oberberführer Until 1940	Sturmführer to Obersturmführer Until 1940	Mann to Obertruppführer Until 1940	SA Marine Until 1940	Sanitats Strumfuhrer Pommern, Thüringen	Oberführer to Obergruppenführer 1940-1945	Sturmbannführer to Standartenführer 1940-1945
Sturmführer to Hauptsturmführer 1940-1945	Mann to Hauptruppführer 1940-1945	Wehrmanner - military student 1939-1945

SA Regulation Collar Tabs

Obersturmmann 3rd Sturm, 135th Standarte - Sachsen	Scharführer Sturmbann 2, 415th Standarte - Sachsen	Obersturmführer Sturmbann 2, 109th Standarte - Südwest	Obersturmbannführer 88th Standarte Staff - Hessen
Rottenführer 61th Brigade Staff - Westmark	SA Mann Sturmbann 1, 76th Brigade Staff - Berlin/Brandenburg	Sturmführer 21st Reserve Sturm, 52nd Standarte - Hansa	Oberscharführer Sturmbann 4, 32nd Reserve Standarte - Hessen
SA Mann 13th Reserve Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg	Obertruppführer 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 - Südwest	Obersturmmann 41st Signals Sturm, 7th Reserve Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg	Oberscharführer 14th Sturm, 9th SA Marine Standarte - Nordsee	Sturmhauptführer SA Marine Group Staff - Nordsee
Sturmführer 2nd SA Marine Obergruppen Staff	SA Mann Reiter, 466th Standarte - West Falen	SA Mann 2nd Reiter Sturm, 117th Standarte - Nordmark	Sturmbannführer 1st Sturm, Leibstandarte - Hochland
Sturmbannführer 23rd Sturm, 16th Standarte "List" - Hochland	SA Mann 4th SA Obergruppen Staff - Westmark	SA Mann SA Group Staff - Niderrehein	Sturmbannführer 1st Standarte Staff - Nordsee
SA Mann SA Band, 5th Standarte - Donau	Scharführer 35th Railway Standarte - Westmark	SA Mann 31st Sturm, 134th Pioneer/Engineer Standarte - Sachsen	SA Mann 5th Pioneer/Engineer Standarte - Berlin/Brandenburg
Oberscharführer 14th Sturm, 7th Jager Standarte - Alpenland	Sturmhauptführer 44th Jager Sttandarte - Donau	SA Mann 1st Pioneer Sturm, 3rd Jager Standarte - Alpenland	Scharführer Medical Sturm 1, Standarte 14 - Niedersachsen
Truppführer SA Flieger 1st style - Group Hochland	SA Mann SA Flieger 2nd style - 5th Standarte - Westfalen	Obersturmmann Sturm 51, 1st Security Standarte - Hochland	Standartenführer 22nd Standarte Commanding Officer - Ostmark
Oberführer Group Commanding Officer - Tannenberg	Standartenführer Leibstandarte Commanding Officer - Hochland	Standartenführer Jager Standarten Commanding Officer - Alpenland	Standartenführer Schutzen Standarten Commanding Officer - Westfalen

SA Special Group Collar Tabs - 1938-1945

Sturmführer Adjutant to SA Chief of Staff	Hauptamt Brigadeführer Oberst SA Fuhrung	Sturmführer Oberst SA Fuhrung Hauptamt Staff	Obersturmführer Party Rally Facilities Staff
Truppführer Ausbildungswesens Staff	Obersturmführer SA Leadership School Instructor	no rank SA Leadership School Student	Strumbannführer SA Sanitats School Instructor
Sturmführer SA Sanitats Official	Strumbannführer Standarte Feldherrnhalle Officer	Strumbannführer Standarte Feldherrnhalle Signals Officer	SA Mann Standarte Feldherrnhalle Enlisted
Hauptamt Gruppenführer Headquarters - Berlin/Brandenburg	Obertruppführer SA FeldJagerkorps - Berlin	Obersturmführer SA Feldjagerkorps - Prussen	Standarte Ehrenführer 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	Bundesführer	Divisionsführer	Kompanieführer
Oberzugführer	Zugführer	Oberfeldmeister	Feldmeister
Gruppenführer	Wehrmann	Scarnhorst Jungen Group Leader	Scarnhorst Jungen Leader