Wojtek the Polish Military Bear

Poland was simultaneously invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939. As a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact the country was then divided between the two aggressors. The Polish Army had fought gallantly but its prisoners of war disappeared into German and Soviet labour camps. The majority of those who went east ended up in Central Asia. Whilst serving as the British Defence Attaché in Kazakhstan I recall seeing on the barren steppe at Spassk, near Karaganda, a subdued roadside memorial to those Polish soldiers who had died in the ‘Karaganda Lager’. Following the German invasion of the Soviet Union in1941 and the latter’s subsequent alignment with the Allies, those Polish soldiers who had survived the KARLAG were gathered together at Tashkent in Uzbekistan to cross the Caspian Sea. The British Army in Persia took responsibility for the training and equipping of what became known as ‘Anders Army’, after its Commander, Lieutenant General Wladyslaw Anders.

In April 1942 as the Polish soldiers were making their way in convoys across Iraq to Palestine, where their training camps were being prepared, roadside barter resulted in a group of soldiers acquired a bear cub. The soldiers now had a mascot whom they named ‘Wojtek’, Polish for happy warrior. By self-appointment one of the older members of the contingent, Peter Prendys, became the bear’s guardian and Wojtek was adopted as the mascot of 22nd Company, Polish Army Service Corps (Artillery). He lived with the soldiers in their tented camp, sharing their rations and adopting a soldierly penchant for vodka, beer and cigarettes. In turn they enjoyed wrestling with him and would take him on their driving duties, allowing him to travel in the cab of their trucks. He was particularly keen on the chain operated showers that existed in the desert camps, learning to operate them in order to cool himself down! The military hierarchy recognised the positive effect he had on the morale of the soldiers and tolerated his occasional misdemeanours. ‘Anders Army’ was warned for service in Italy and in order to satisfy military bureaucratic procedures Wojtek was enlisted into the Polish Army in the rank of Corporal prior to embarkation from Alexandria in Egypt to Taranto in Italy in February 1944.  

Wojtek first saw action with 2nd Polish Corps at the 4th Battle of Monte Cassino when 22nd Company played an important role in the provision of Artillery support to successive attacks by Polish Corps units, which led to the ultimate capture of the Abbey by the Poles on 18 May 1944. Their sacrifice is poignantly commemorated by the Polish Cemetery beneath Hill 593. Wojtek had learnt to assist his colleagues with the unloading of 100-pound boxes of 25 pounder shells by standing upright and allowing the soldiers to load the boxes onto his outstretched paws, whereupon he would carry the shells to the artillery positions before returning to the transport for more. British Army Black Watch veteran, John Clarke testifies:

“I remember it clearly because it was my twentieth birthday. We were making our way through the deserted fields, looking for stray hens and eggs, when a nearby artillery unit opened fire. We went to look and found a battery of Polish gunners setting up for a barrage. The gun site was hidden in a clearing within a large wood. As we watched, suddenly out of the wood came a large bear, walking on its hind legs. It seemed to be carrying something. Both Vincent and I shouted a warning to the gunners that a bear was going towards them, but nobody responded. The bear went up to the trail legs of the artillery gun and placed a shell on the ground. The bear then went back into the wood and reappeared with another shell. By this time, we had realised that the bear was tame and most likely a circus bear. We just went on our way.”

After the battle the 22nd Company was given permission to adopt the insignia of Wojtek carrying a shell on their uniform and their vehicles - his fame was assured!

Wojtek continued to serve with 2nd Polish Corps throughout the Italian Campaign. The formation remained with the 8th Army, successfully liberating Italian towns on the Adriatic coast where many memorials commemorate the gratitude of the communities. Particularly in evidence are the memorials in the Polish language in the churches at the Madonna dell’ Ambro, Cingoli and Loreto where Polish units wintered in 1944/45. Wojtek undoubtedly took part in Operation OLIVE to breach the Gothic Line in September 1944 and the final offensive, Operation GRAPESHOT, to liberate Bologna in April 1945. ‘Anders Army’ remained in Italy until 1946 before being moved to Britain. Significant parts of their country had been absorbed into Belorussia and Ukraine and the majority of the soldiers felt unable to return to post war communist Poland. The 22nd Company found itself at the Polish Resettlement Centre at Winfield Camp in the Scottish Borders. Many of the soldiers settled in Britain, including Wojtek who found himself housed in Edinburgh Zoo, where he remained until his death in 1963. Through the endeavours of the Wojtek Memorial Trust, a bronze statue has stood on Polish granite in Princes Street Gardens since 2013 and honours the courage of Polish soldiers who fought in World War Two.

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