Polish Secret Weapon, Wojtek “The Soldier Bear” Who Went To War
// April 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // General, history
Wojtek or Voytek was a Syrian Brown Bear cub adopted by soldiers of the 22 Kompania Zaopatrywania Artylerii (22nd. Artillery Supply Company) of the Polish II Corps.
In 1942, a local boy found a bear-cub near Hamadan in Persia (Iran). He sold it to the soldiers of the Polish Army stationed nearby for a couple of canned meat tins.
As the bear was less than a year old, he initially had problems swallowing and was fed with condensed milk from an emptied vodka bottle.
First, Wojtek was fed with fruits, marmalade, honey and syrup, and like any soldier, he loved to relax with a cigarette and a bottle of beer when out of the firing line. By the way, Wojtek didn’t smoke cigarettes, he ate cigarettes.
The soldier bear was a secret weapon used by the Polish troops in World War II
He attached himself to the men and took on many human characteristics, crying when left alone and covering his eyes with his paws if chastised. As he grew, he became a key member of the unit, being trained to carry mortar shells.
The bear became quite an attraction for soldiers and civilians alike, and soon became an unofficial mascot of all units stationed nearby.
Because of that, he was officially drafted into the Polish Army and was listed among the soldiers of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps. Together with it he moved to Iraq and then through Syria, Palestine and Egypt to southern Italy.
According to numerous accounts, during the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek helped his patrons by transporting ammunition - and never dropped any crate. He was possibly the most remarkable combatant of the Second World War.
On one occasion, Wojtek was delighted to find the door ajar - and discovered an Arab who was spying for a raiding party.
The intruder confessed all, and the enemy were rounded up. Hailed a hero, Wojtek was given two bottles of beer and allowed to spend all morning splashing happily in the bath hut.
When the Poles were deployed to Italy in 1944 to supply Allied troops with desperately-needed food and ammunition, the only way to take their furry friend with them was to officially enlist him - so he was given a name, rank and number.
Following the end of World War II in 1945, the bear (along with parts of the II Corps) was transported to Berwickshire in Scotland. Stationed in the village of Hutton, near Duns, Wojtek soon became popular among local civilians and the press.
The Polish-Scottish Association made Wojtek one of its honorary members. Following the demobilization, on November 15, 1947, Wojtek was given to the Edinburgh Zoo. There Wojtek spent the rest of his days, often visited by journalists and former Polish soldiers, some of whom would toss him cigarettes.
Wojtek died in December 1963, at the age of 22. At the time of his death he weighed nearly 500 pounds (250 kilograms) and had a length of over 6 feet (1.8 meters).
