OK...take a long draw on this here stogie, little fella!"

OK...take a long draw on this here stogie, little fella!"

PFC Trattles of the US 5th Army introduces Gurkha Rifleman Limbu to the joys of cigar smoking, somewhere in Italy - March 1945



Jitbahadur Limbu hailed from Dhankutat village, East Nepal. Although a "Rifleman", he is armed with a Thompson SMG...a heavy weapon for a man with such a small frame. 
Limbu displays a Royal Gurkha Rifles cap badge on his Service Cap. Between the crossed Khukris is a numeral designating his particluar regiment (2/3 Gurkha Regiment).

Curtis Trattles is armed with an M1 carbine and, by this date, has been issued with an M1943 field jacket.

Curtis A. Trattles was born in Beechwood Michigan, following high school he first worked as a logger and then served in the US Army during WW2 with the 339th Infantry Regiment, 85th Infantry Division. Post WW2 Curtis returned to Iron River and was employed as a miner. He later moved to Waukegan, Ill. where he worked as a welder, following his retirement in 1983 he returned to Iron River. 
In June 1949 Curtis married the former Mary Tersi. He was a member of the Alfred Branchini Post No. 17 of the American Legion in Iron River and also enjoyed gardening & hunting.
Curtis Trattles passed away on Aug 13, 1999 at the age of 79 and is buried at Rosehill Cemetery, Beechwood Michigan.

Original Caption by the late Ian Phillips

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