The 1ere RCP was created from the 2 Infanterie de L'Air units that were in North Africa. They were equipped from US sources and received advice from the 82nd Airborne Division. Other than the BIA badge on the pocket and the distinctive paint job on the helmet this French para is indistinguishable from his US counterpart.
The uniform is the US M42 2-piece jump suit. The top had 4 bellow pockets that fastened with snaps. The trousers had 2 large thigh pockets, again fastened with snaps. The helmet is the standard M1, some members of the 1RCP managed to "acquire" the US M2 jump helmet but the M1 was the most encountered. On his feet he wears the famous "Corcoran" jump boots.
His equipment is a mixture of WW1, Inter-War and M36 patterns. As with the early US paras he has been issued a mounted pattern cartridge belt (which had space on the left hand side to fit a 1911 semi-auto pistol ammo pouch - as cavalrymen were issued a pistol), a WW1 1911 mag pouch, M3 knife in an M8 scabbard. Strangely the 1RCP were not issued the bayonet for the M1 Garand rifle (carried here).