History

The SA (Sturmabteilung, storm detachment) was established in 1921 as a paramilitary protection squad of the NSDAP. The members of the SA were tasked with protecting party leaders at political rallies and meetings from the paramilitary forces of the opposing political factions. The SA was first utilised on November 4, 1921 at a meeting held in Munich’s "Hofbräuhaus" beer hall. The organisation was banned after the failed putsch in 1923 and was reactivated in February 1925.

Aiguillettes in the SA were only worn by adjutants. These were all in the rank of SA-Sturmführer and above. They were worn from the shoulder board button on the right shoulder to the first button of the tunic, but the second button of the service shirt.
Aiguillettes were introduced on November 28, 1931. Initially they were bright red with interwoven silver-coloured cord.

This changed on September 20, 1932. For a short time colours were of the numerous sub groups (Untergruppen), of which there are too many to list here.

The next change happened on July 7, 1933. Adjutants to the Staff of SA Headquarters, to Chiefs of Motor Troops, Chiefs of Education, to Inspector Generals, and at the Reichsführerschule wore crimson and silver-coloured aiguillettes. Those of adjutants to the Staff of Gruppen and Obergruppen were bright red and silver-coloured. Black and white aiguillettes were worn by adjutants in Groups Ostland, Westfalen, Niederrhein, Berlin-Brandenburg, Ostmark, Pommern, Westmark, Niedersachsen, Nordmark, Mitte, Schlesien, and Nordsee. Adjutants from Thüringen wore white and red, Sachsen was white and emerald, Südwest was black and yellow, Franken was white and blue, Hochland and Bayerische Ostmark was white and light blue, Österreich was red and white, and Hansa and Hessen was light blue and white.

On April 1, 1937 aiguillettes for adjutants were changed to brown with silver-coloured veins, which in fact more often than not was white silk. Exceptions were SA adjutants to the Führer who wore aiguillettes made of gold-cantille (hollow metal spirals); the aiguillettes for adjutants to Reichsleiter, Reichsminister, and Reichsstatthalter were of matte silver cord; the ones for primary adjutants of Chiefs-of-Staff were of matte gold cord, whereas the other adjutants to the Chiefs-of-Staff wore a matte aluminum cord.

Aiguillettes for Marine-SA members were introduced on October 16, 1933. They are in dark blue with white, but were discontinued on April 1, 1937.