History

The SA Sports Badge was established as a semi-official award by the Stabschef Ernst Röhm on November 28th, 1933, and it was granted official status by Adolf Hitler on February 15th, 1935. Originally, only members of the SA were eligible to receive the award, however, once it gained official status, all racially pure and hereditarily fit Germans became eligible to receive the award. In order to receive the Badge, an individual had to pass a single physical fitness test.

On March 18th, 1937, the award criteria was changed and recipients were required to pass the physical fitness exam every year, in order to retain their Badge. Men were expected to try and win the Badge from the age of 17 and on. Members of the Hitler Youth were to start preparing at age 16.

On January 19th, 1939, Adolf Hitler ordered the name to be changed to SA Wehrabzeichen (Military Defence Badge or Military Sports Badge), but the design remained the same.

The test activities were divided into three categories: physical exercises, field exercises and defence exercises. Physical exercises included: long jump, 100 yards sprint, shot put, long-distance throw, and 300-metre run. Field exercises included: signalling, map reading, reconnaissance work, judging terrain and estimating ranges. Defence exercises included: small calibre arms fire, swimming or cycle speed test, grenade throwing, etc.

The Naval Branch of the SA had to complete different activities, which included: casting lines, a 25-minute row in a cutter, knotting and splicing, seamanship in boats, etc.

The Badge was issued in three grades, bronze, silver and gold.

There are three types of the badge and they can be distinguished by the wording on the obverse.

The Bronze Badge for War Wounded was added as a grade in 1943. This Badge was conferred upon military personnel who had been severely wounded in action. The purpose of the badge was to encourage the wounded personnel to try and recover their physical fitness and was awarded after the individual had demonstrated an average level of athletic proficiency for their type of wound.

The War Wounded Badges feature the stamp "M1/100" on the reverse, and have a wolf-hook “Wolfsangel” on the obverse sword hilt.