SMGP-2763 SA Reinforced Border Guard Service Danzig Collar tab Device

An extremely rare collar tab device as pictured in Angolia’s “Cloth Insignia of the NSDAP and SA” book on page 315. 30 mm in stamped nickel with RZM logo and “No. 9” Two intact prongs.

SA collar patches for enlisted men in the Reinforced Border Guard Service Danzig represent significant evidence of the complex political and military situation in the Free City of Danzig immediately before the outbreak of World War II.  Black fabric insignia with  metal SA runes on one side.

The Free City of Danzig was created after the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 as an independent city-state under the protection of the League of Nations. Despite its formal autonomy, Danzig increasingly developed into a focal point of National Socialist activities. The Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary combat organization of the NSDAP, also established itself in Danzig and played a central role in intimidating political opponents and preparing for the city’s incorporation into the German Reich.

The Reinforced Border Guard Service (Verstärkter Grenzaufsichtsdienst) was a special formation established in the context of the tense situation on the borders of the Free City of Danzig. These units officially had the task of monitoring and securing the borders, but in fact served as paramilitary units preparing for the forcible takeover of Polish facilities and strategic points. The use of SA personnel in these border protection units demonstrates the close intertwining between official security organizations and the party militia.