UNIFORMS AND EQUIPMENT

The photos below constitute modern reconstruction with the possible use of original elements.
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The 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade was established according to standards of British Airborne units and was uniformed and equipped identically as the model (the below description concerns the battle order).

Warrant officer
 

The basic uniform, so called battledress consisted of woolen khaki blouse with insignia and the same kind of trousers worn along with black leather boots with gaiters. The underwear was made of cotton and wool and it was used with string vest made of coton string which could be untwinned and used as a regular string. The battledress was covered with camouflaged coton drill Denison Smock; jump helmet was covered with a net or a grey beret was used. A camouflage face veil was tied around the neck.

Riflemen with Lee-Enfield
 

The clothing was covered with web equipment which consisted of web belt with braces, two basic pouches on the front, haversack with braces on the back, entrenching tool and water bottle with carriers and gas mask in a bag.
When jumping, a soldier was additionally protected with a plastic body armour covered with an oversmock, life belt or vest and type X parachute. The equipment was put into a haversack and so called kit bags which were tied to the jumpers leg. Bigger items were delivered in particular cases.

Riflemen with Sten

Each parachuter was provided with two food rations, toilet and cleaning kits, mess set, sewing kit, personal dressing, morfine, identity documents and discs, another set of underwear. Except of small size equipment, a soldier took weapon, ammunition to the personal and team weapon, granades, explosives, ground sheet, recognition panel, shovel or pick, toggle rope, bayonet, dagger, wire cutters. Light Machine Guns operators were also equipped with spare barrels and additional tools. The officers took additionally map sets, flare pistol with flares and stationaries in officers' haversacks.

Bren Gunner

The basic individual weapon was represented with Lee-Enfield rifles or Sten machine pistols. The officers were provided with Colt or Browning pistols or Webley or Enfield revolvers. 
The team gun was mainly Bren LMG and in case of a platoon PIAT's and two inches mortars.

The complete equipment with ammunition weight approximately 30 kg.

Bren Gunner's assistant

Willys-Jeep was generally used as a mean of transportation, as well as motorbikes and bicycles.