SA Sports Shirt Emblem-This SA Athletic Insignia is a great display item. This pattern of insignia was worn on sports clothing by members of the Sturmabteilung, Hitler’s paramilitary force in the 1920s-30s and into WWII. It is machine embroidered. The colors are very vibrant. The front features a large version of the runic emblem of the SA, with the lettering “HE” that indicates SA Group Niederrhein. Unlike most organizations, which used one pattern of sports insignia for all units and branches, the SA sports patches indicated the specific SA group with the group name abbreviation and also colors, in this case navy blue for the Gruppe Hessen. The reverse shows the emblem in reverse, and the backing has been neatly hemmed around the patch’s edges. This is how it would have been applied to the front of an athletic shirt. There is some indication that this patch was worn, we do not believe it to be unissued. The condition is good, there is some staining, where it appears that the navy blue may have gotten wet and bled onto the white. There is also some discoloration to the right side of the patch. The navy color is still vibrant, and the off-white is quite bright. There are a few spots of discoloration on the reverse. This patch measures approx. 14cm in diameter. We have found a postcard with a sketch of a member wearing his sports uniform, and will include a photocopy of this. Overall, this is in excellent condition!