unknown ss/sa leader ??

[hopsi]

Hi
may I ask for help in identifying this ss/sa leader ??
many thanks Stephan

[sturm369]

greating
I can only say great pictures. nice party badge!!

[Br. James]

I agree; he's an SA-Oberführer. Though it may have been signed, I assume that the photo's inscription is illegible -- it seems to be from what I can see.

Br. James

[mseagle]

What I like is that his tabs are sewn on backwards. You would never be able to sell this tunic because it is not "textbook", and this from a very high SA leader. They didn't all follow the regs!

[hopsi]

..unable to read the dedication, but it seems to me
it was dated Wien im April 1933

[laurens]

It's SA-Oberführer Léon Graf du Moulin-Eckart. Wien is correct as he was the commanding officer of SA-Untergruppe Wien.

[hopsi]

Many thanks for your reply and expertise
regards Stephan

[sgstandard]

Tabs

Sewn on backwards to accomodate the shape of the collar better.

[Br. James]

Sgstandard is spot on, IMO! This appears to be a custom-made SA tunic; photos exist of other high political officials who ordered tailor-made tunics and occasionally needed to reverse their collar tabs to accommodate the cut of the upper lapels. Perhaps a more famous photo of this situation is the portrait photo of Dr. Otto Hellmuth, Gauleiter of Unterfranken, later renamed Gau Main-Franken, wherein he wears an early PL tunic with reversed Gauleiter's collar tabs.

Personally, I like these examples of individuality, which are not as rare as one might think; they have their own particular charm!

Br. James