The furry bear was a cigarette smoking, beer drinking, official Polish soldier during WWII who battled the Germans in Italy.
During the spring of 1942 Russia released their Polish prisoners into the care of the British. The reason they did this was because Germany had attacked them in June of '41, the Polish prisoners would be armed and formed into an army by the British in their fight against Germany. The main route at the time was south, through Persia (Iran) and then west to Egypt in which was located the British headquarters in the region, where the Polish would be formed into divisions.
When crossing the mountainous regions of northern Iran they happened across a shepherd boy who had found a bear cub that had presumably lost its mother to hunters. The boy gladly traded the bear for some canned meat, the soldiers named the bear Wojtek (pronounced Voytek) which means ”he who enjoys war” or ”joyful warrior”.
The tiny cub was given condensed milk from an old vodka bottle before also fed honey, marmalade, syrup and fruits, before graduating to eating solid foods. In fact he was often found near the kitchen eating anything the cooks would give him. His comrades treated him like any other soldier, teaching him to salute and giving him beer and cigarettes – two things he grew to love. Wojtek would drink the beer and then peer into the bottle looking for more and he would eat the cigarettes after he smoked them.
He was the mascot of the group, and a huge boost to morale with his antics. Some adventurous men would play-wrestle with him, while most were happy to just watch and laugh as Wojtek would sometimes inadvertently scratch or tear the uniforms of the wrestler. As he got bigger, less soldiers would wrestle with him. He realized that if he played too rough he wouldn't be played with as much, so he became a very gentle bear and would even let a soldier win sometimes.
Another time he caused great laughter when he got himself stuck up a palm tree. He even helped to catch a thief! Wojtek would often sleep in the ammunition tent and one night an Arab man looked to steal some of it, but when confronted by the bear he caused such an uproar that soldiers came to investigate and arrested him. Wojtek was given a bottle of beer as a reward.
The soldiers were formed into the 3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps and were going to be sent to Italy for the invasion there. The problem was that animals were not allowed to embark onto the ships. The polish officers solved that issue by giving Wojtek a serial number, the rank of private, and adding him to the paybook – officially making him a part of the Polish army and authorized to be transported. He wasn't actually paid, instead of money he was given extra rations - probably something he was alright with. His name was listed in army documents as Wojciech Perski (Wojtek is the diminutive form of Wojciech and Perski meaning Persian).
While in Italy the unit took part in the fierce Battle of Monte Cassino. The Germans were heavily entrenched in the hilltops and had repulsed three previous Allied assaults. Always one to copy what the men were doing, Wojtek, not scared of the sounds, started carrying shells to the artillery like the other soldiers – and never dropped a single one! After the battle was over, the unit adopted a design of Wojtek carrying a shell as their official badge, sewn to uniforms and painted on their trucks.
After the war the unit was stationed near Edinburgh, Scotland until it was decommissioned in 1947. The men had to make the decision to stay in the free west as part of the Polish Resettlement Corp or return to their families in the now communist Poland. Many of the ones who chose to return to Poland were never heard from again with stories of them being shot or dying in the gulags, others told how they were arrested and sent to Siberia for years for “having served with the enemy of the people of Poland.”
As for Wojtek, he was sent to live in the Edinburgh zoo where he would perk up when he heard Polish being spoken or was visited by his former comrades who would sometimes jump the fence to give him a hug and a beer. Wojtek died at the age of 22 in 1963. He meant so much to the men who thought of him as a brother, and his death was mourned by all of them. There are now statues of Wojtek in both Krakow and Edinburgh.
"What the bear offered all of these men was comfort. At a time when they were far from home, had nothing, and often no-one, Wojtek stood in for the wives, children, pets, family they'd left behind. He was someone to live love and someone who loved them back." - Granddaughter of one soldier
If you liked this story, click here to read about the WWI American dog, Sergeant Stubby!
Sources:
- WOJTEK THE SOLDIER BEAR
- Polish bear 'that fought Nazis' to be commemorated
- Story of Poland's 'soldier bear' Wojtek turned into film
- Wojtek (bear)
- Photographs: Wotjek Gallery 1 2
