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Recruited by Polish soldiers captured by the Russian Socialist criminal invaders of Poland, 17 th September, 1939. The
starved Polish soldiers had been released from NKVD Secret Police Camps. There were no Officers. Nearly all of them
had been murdered in the ‘Katyn’ atrocities. The soldiers were released as a condition imposed when the Russians
wanted to change sides in WW2, after their associate criminal invaders of Poland, the German National Socialists,
attacked Russia on 22 nd June, 1941.
General Wladyslaw Anders, just after his 1941 release from Russian captivity, was ordered by the Polish Government-
in-exile in London to form, train and command the new Polish Army made up of the starving surviving soldiers released
from NKVD captivity. The newly formed Polish 2 nd Corps walked out of Russia, into Iran in late August, 1941, together
with thousands of Polish civilians, the small percentage who had survived Russian enslavement after well over a
million were uprooted from their Polish homes and dumped to work on collective farms, mines and forests in Siberia.
While trekking through Iran, at a meal stop, Polish 22 nd Artillery Supply Company Soldiers came across an Iranian boy
carrying a little bear cub orphaned after its mother had been shot by hunters. The starving boy sold his cub to them for
some coins, a few chocolate bars, a Swiss army knife and a large can of corned beef. Themselves also homeless,
moving forward to rejoin the fight against the criminal National Socialist German forces occupying Poland, the cub
provided the young men with hope and joy. The soldiers presciently named their baby cub Mascot, Wojtek, which means
Happy Warrior in Polish!
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Wojtek? A Bear? A Soldier? A Polish War Hero? How So? Incredible but True! |
The baby orphan Wojtek had found a family. A loving family of Soldiers. Growing to maturity, he identified himself as just
one of the family - brother Wojtek the sociable Soldier Bear with Polish as his language. The outfit asked Peter Prendys
to be ‘Wojtek's principal guardian, . . . Aged 46, Peter was considerably older than the rest of his comrades, many of
whom were in their late teens or early twenties . . Peter fed and cared for the cub, who scampered after him everywhere
like a young child . .Whenever he was frightened or tired or in need of a cuddle, Wojtek would run to Peter and whimper
until he was lifted up onto his knee. There he would sit, contentedly sucking on one of Peter's fingers’ (Aileen Orr:
Wojtek the Bear, 2010). As a Soldier Bear in the Polish 22 nd Supply Company, at various stages of his service, Wojtek:
Slept in Soldier tents, sometimes alone and sometimes with other Soldiers
Enjoyed wrestling and boxing with his ‘brothers’
Saluted when greeted and marched on his hind legs with his ‘brothers’.
Sometimes he was a front seat passenger in the Army Trucks
Drank coffee, ate pies, fruit and honey as well as Candy
Liked to dance and listen to music, especially violin music
Enjoyed swimming, bathing and grooming himself with a scrubbing brush
Loved playing with children, especially riding them on his back
In Kirkuk, Syria, Wojtek startled and terrified an Arab intruder who was then arrested as a spy trying to get the Soldiers
weapons. This episode. however, is not what made Wojtek a Polish War Hero. The first step on this journey occurred at
the Port of Alexandria in Egypt. After trekking with the Polish Forces through Iran, Iraq, Syria and Palestine the Polish II
Corps reached Egypt, where they were ordered to join the British 8 th Army in the Allied Italian Campaign where the
Battles for Monte Cassino were crucial. To cross from the Port of Alexandria to the Port of Naples, Italy, the Polish II
Corps had to board a British troopship, however the British did not allow any animal
Mascots to board. Wojtek’s brother soldiers officially inducted him into their Company as
a Private, service number 3522, with food, alcohol and cigarette rations and a pay book,
Problem solved. Private Wojtek made it to Naples and onward to Monte Cassino.
It was during the Battles of Monte Cassino when Wojtek became a Polish War Hero. He
always liked to participate in the activities of his brother Soldiers. He would watch and
then get involved. During the Battle he noticed that his brothers in the Polish 22 nd Supply
Company were picking up crates. usually 4 men per crate, containing four 25 pounder
artillery shells and fuses, then taking them from the Company’s supply trucks to the Gun
emplacements. For General Anders Forces to be able to take Hill 593 and the
Benedictine Abbey a continuous Artillery bombardment and therefore a continuous
supply of shells was crucial. Wojtek joined in, even when under heavy enemy fire. Wojtek
with his superior strength carted the crates on his own. For his heroic efforts in the Polish
18 th May, 1944 victory at Monte Cassino, Wojtek was promoted to the rank of Corporal.
The Allied Italian campaign ended after their April 1945 victory in the battle of Bologna. At the end of hostilities Wojtek,
together with most of the 22 nd Artillery Supply Company were deployed to the Winfield Displaced Persons Camp in
Scotland, about 80 km southeast from Edinburgh where they awaited their fate. Not wanting to return to Post World
War2 Poland then under the control of Russian Socialist Tyrants. the Polish soldiers gradually found new homes in the
Free Countries in Europe, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA. Eventually the day came when Wojtek
had to find a new home. On 15 th November, 1947, Wojtek was transferred to Edinburgh Zool. His changed freedom of
movement circumstances at first depressed Wojtek, but he eventually got used to his new constrained lifestyle. He then
befriended his regular Keepers and his spirits always perked up whenever he heard the sound of Polish voices visiting
his compound at the Zoo. Sometimes some of his Soldier brothers would climb into Wojtek’s compound and playfully
wrestle with him. On 15 th November, 1963, Wojtek died aged about 22, roughly the average life expectancy of a Bear.
The fascinating and inspiring story of Wojtek the Soldier Bear and his friendship with his Polish Soldier brothers should
not be lost from living memory. Multiple books and articles have been written. including Anders, Władysław (1949). An
Army in Exile, the Story of the Second Polish Corps; Kleczkowski, Stefan (1945). Poland's first 100,000: Story of the
Rebirth of the Polish Army, Navy and Air Force After the September Campaign; Morgan, Geoffrey; Lasocki, Wiesław A.
(1970). Soldier Bear; Dumon Tak, Bibi (2011). Soldier Bear; Orr, Aileen (2012). Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero; and
Ivell, Krystyna; Baczor, Vic (2013). Wojtek Album. Wojtek Memorial statues have been unveilled at including Krakow,
Zagan, Szczecin, Warsaw, Ochota, Sopot and Szymbark in Poland; as well as
London, Edinburgh and Dunis in the UK. The most recent was unveiled at Cassino,
Italy, May, 2019, by Anne Marie Anders, daughter of General Anders. Wojtek was
made an honorary member of the Scottish-Polish Society and in March 2009 the
Scottish Parliament honoured him with a diplomatic reception. On 15 th November,
2011, the TV documentary: Wojtek the Bear that Went to War was aired. Various
versions of a Wojtek insignia commemorate his loving association with the Soldiers of
22 nd Supply Company, some include his service number 3522. Glimpses of Wojtek’s
life can be viewed in multiple video clips including:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZT62Gbb3iE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hENghbR3pBw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lu4rW0xaZQ
Author's comment
In my last Overseas travels in 2019, I did my usual attendance when in the US at the annual Kosciuszko conference at West Point. At the Conference I
had the pleasure of mee?ng Anna Maria Anders, daughter of General Wladyslaw Anders. I was happy to find out that she would be going to Italy to
unveil a Wojtek memorial at Cassino. I was very happy because it was on my i?nerary at the very ?me Anna Maria would be there at the
unveiling!!! see attached photos. For me I believe it was another Palec Boga incident. The group photo was taken at the Eisenhower Room of
the Thayer Hotel at West Point, it shows left to right Anthony Kajencki, myself, unknown, Anna Maria Anders, Lisa Hendricks and Jim Hutzler.
The
other photo is in the town of Cassino showing Anna Maria (under the umbrella with a microphone) speaking at the unveiling of the most recent
Wojtek memorial, 16 th May 2019 .
Links to Dziobaki from Sydney taking part in Mis Wojtek Finals competition in Warsaw and in a tournee over the places in Poland related to Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Paweł Edmund Strzelecki.
https://www.facebook.com/polski.zwiazek.kulturalny
https://www.zrobtosam.com/PulsPol/Puls3/index.php?sekcja=1&arty_id=23210 IV TURNIEJ im. MISIA WOJTKA - Dziobaki z Sydney reprezentują Australię
https://www.zrobtosam.com/PulsPol/Puls3/index.php?sekcja=1&arty_id=23251 Sydneyjskie Tsunami nad Polską Reportaż Telewizji Poznańskiej
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