Conor Kenny
Online Opinion Editor
Bears were always one of my favourite animals growing up. Baloo in the Jungle Book always seemed like a good laugh, and I was also a big fan of Fozzie Bear from The Muppets – very well dressed for a mammal. Paddington Bear on the other hand always seemed a bit snooty to me, and the idea of marmalade sandwiches made me feel sick, but there’s no doubt bears must have had a lot of street cred for so many of them to have appeared in children’s tv shows. None of these fictional creations, however, even come close to rivalling the true story of Private Wojtek.
The former courier for Bernard Montgomery , Archibald Brown, was tasked with processing the Polish infantry division that arrived in Italy in February 1944. On his first day, he realized there was only one soldier who had not appeared to meet him. When he called out Wojtek’s name, there was no response, and the mysterious soldier could not be found. Brown had to be led around the back of the camp, where he was introduced to a massive adult Syrian bear. This very bear fought in the Polish Army as a soldier during World War II.
Little Wojtek was found as a cub by a child in Iran, and soon after found himself sold to local Polish soldiers in exchange for a few cans of tinned meat. I’m not sure what purpose these soldiers had for a bear, but the army barracks quickly became his home, and the soldiers his closest family. Unsurpisingly, Wojtek initially found the barracks tough going, and because of his young age it was difficult for him to adjust to military life like the rest of the soldiers. But he became one of them.
After his initial teething period during which he drank milk out of a recycled vodka bottle, the young Iranian bear just became another one of the lads. He drank cans of Skol, smoked fags (although he couldn’t role them himself, and often decided to eat them instead), wrestled, and played cards with the rest of the soldiers. He even slept in tents with them. The one downside was that Wojtek couldn’t aim a rifle very well, so it was up to the 22nd Polish Artillery Supply Company to find another use for him.
His platoon commander, Stanislaw Kroczak, recalled how serious attempts were made to train Wojtak to throw grenades at the enemy. According to Kroczak, “There were efforts to teach Wojtek this skill, but he could not grasp an artillery shell, even though he was strong enough. In spite of everything, he was only a bear and not an animal with a near-human intellect.” While this may have been true, the bear was more than just a mascot. After he had been officially enlisted (and received his own ration papers), Wojtek was tasked with resupplying the Allied troops with ammunition, charging back and forth across the battlefield, never once dropping a shell. He even once captured an Arab spy hiding in the Polish Camp.
The final years of Wojtek’s life are particularly sad, as the Private never particularly got the fame and glory he deserved. Relocated in his elderly age to Edinburgh Zoo in 1947, he was essentially forgotten about. His comrades from the army would occasionally visit him, and he would stand to salute them the moment they arrived. The rest of his time was spent smoking and drinking whatever the zookeepers were willing to throw his way to appease him, and being the object of amusement for the numerous schoolchildren who would walk past in awe. Private Wojtek had served in the Polish armed forces and fought against the most evil dictator to ever set foot on the planet. Although he was a frequent guest on the Blue Peter show, this must have been something of an anti-climax for a mammal who risked his life for his country. He was now reduced to a chain-smoking, depressed bear who drank to erase his sorrows in Scotland. The veteran died this 49 years ago this month, and he has still never achieved the recognition that his efforts merited. There are campaigns to erect a memorial statue to Private Wojtek in Edinburgh, and hopefully these will come to fruition.
Cynics may say that Wojtek was only an animal, and had little or no inclination of the cause he was fighting for. That said, there can be little doubt that in his own mind, Wojtek was a human soldier. Reading this inspiring story made even more annoyed that a film called War Horse exists. There’s nothing particularly interesting about film where a horse goes to war, even if it is based on a true story. A bear on the other hand, now that’s a film I’d like to see Steven Spielberg make next year.
