BACKGROUND: The SA, "Sturmabteilung" (Storm-troops), were originally formed in August of 1921 as a protective guard unit for the political leaders of the fledgling NSDAP, "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei" (National-socialist German Workers’-party). As with the Nazi party, the SA was structured along para-military lines. Most of its recruits were from the ranks of the various "Freikorps" groups of the day, composed mainly of disgruntled ex-soldiers, and they were first utilized at a Nazi party meeting in Munich in November of 1921. Around 1930, the "Sanitäts-SA" (Medical-SA) were created as a special unit.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: A brown wool sleeve badge in the form of an oval, 4cm wide and 6cm tall, upon which is hand embroidered a silver wire "Lebens" (Life) rune. Uniform removed. Rare!