The Bear That Fought the War

Though you might say that a bear fighting in a war is impossible that could not be more wrong.

This is true for an orphan Syrian brown bear cub. The cub was found by an Iranian boy after its mother was shot.

The bear was later sold to the Polish Anders army because of one of the Polish refugees, Irena Bokiewicz, liked the cub. This prompted lieutenant Anatol Tarnowiecki to purchase the young bear.

For the next three months, the bear lived in the Polish refugee camp near Tehran under the care of Irena. In August,  it was donated to the 2nd Transport Company which later became the 22nd Artillery supply company. The cub was named Wojtek.

While in the army, Wojtek initially had problems swallowing and was fed with condensed milk from a vodka bottle. It was also fed with fruits, marmalade, honey, and syrup. The bear was often rewarded with beer, which became its favorite drink. It also enjoyed smoking (or eating) cigarettes.

The cub joined the Polish 2nd Corps from Egypt to fight alongside the British in the Italian campaign. The latter prepared to break through the German defenses at Monte Cassino when it successfully captured the stronghold after much bitter fighting.  


During the conflict, Wojtek was at the artillery firing line moving crates of ammunition and artillery shells close to a truck where it was chained. A soldier was assigned to take care of the bear but he was ordered to work as an artillery spotter and he had to leave Wojtek.

Always inquisitive and willing to copy what the soldiers were doing, the bear began picking up the crates and moved towards the cannons. The sounds of gunfire did not concern the animal and it displayed courage in its willingness to participate in the action. 


After the battle, the official badge of the 22nd Transport Company became a likeness of Wojtek holding a shell. This symbol appeared on vehicles, pennants, and on the uniforms of the soldiers. It would also be promoted from private to corporal.

At the end of World War 2, Wojtek was transported to Berwickshire in Scotland with the rest of the 22nd company stationed at Winfield Airfield on Sunwick Farm near the village of Hutton. 

Following demobilization, the bear was given to Edinburgh Zoo where it spent the rest of its life. It would often be visited by journalists and Polish soldiers who would toss cigarettes that it ate. It was also a frequent guest in the BBC show Blue Peter.  the Bear died on December 2,1963 at the age of nine.