Inglorious Bruin: Wojtek the Soldier Bear

During World War II, the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the 2nd Polish Corps enlisted a Syrian Brown Bear as one of their own. At first, it was just a mascot, but ended up earning a battlefield commission by doing much more! In this week’s episode, we learn about various animal troops during the war and tell the story of Wojtek, the Soldier Bear! Then we play the quiz and chat with Comedian Harrison Greenbaum!

In the chaos and carnage of World War II, heroes emerged from the most unexpected places—not just from the ranks of soldiers but from the animal kingdom. Dogs, pigeons, horses, and even bears were enlisted to serve in the world’s greatest conflict, carrying messages, transporting supplies, and boosting the morale of weary troops. We’ve done a fair amount of World War II stories on this show, but never one about the animals. These brave creatures performed astonishing acts of courage, sometimes in the face of gunfire, and their loyalty was unwavering. From the fearless war dog who charged enemy lines to the homing pigeons that saved lives with their speed, animals proved to be more than companions—they were indispensable warriors.

In the dense jungles of Burma, elephants proved invaluable to both British and Japanese forces during World War II. Their immense strength and size allowed them to carry heavy artillery, construct bridges, and transport supplies through terrain impassable for trucks or tanks. Working tirelessly alongside the soldiers, these gentle giants played a crucial role in the brutal Burma campaign, where human lives depended on their unwavering service.

Mules were the unsung heroes of the Italian Campaign, often carrying artillery, food, and medical supplies across the treacherous Apennine Mountains. The British Army, in particular, relied heavily on mules, as they could traverse areas where vehicles would get stuck or destroyed. Though their role was less glamorous than that of combat troops, the survival of entire divisions depended on these hardy animals, which braved enemy fire and grueling conditions.

But there are also stories of individual animals. We’ve talked about Unsinkable Sam during the Arthur John Priest Unsinkable Man episode. Originally a ship’s cat on the German battleship Bismarck, Sam survived its sinking in May 1941 and was rescued by British sailors. After the Bismarck, Sam survived the sinking of two more ships—the HMS Cossack and HMS Ark Royal—each time being found alive and rescued. Following these incredible escapes, Sam retired to a peaceful life in the UK, becoming a symbol of survival and resilience during World War II. But he wasn’t the only cat. Simon, the ship’s cat aboard the British Royal Navy ship HMS Amethyst, became a hero during the Chinese Civil War’s Yangtze Incident in 1949. After surviving injuries from a shell blast that killed several of his crewmates, Simon continued his duty, killing rats and protecting the ship’s food supply. For his bravery and morale-boosting presence, Simon was awarded the Dickin Medal, the only cat to receive such an honor during or after the war.

Even birds fought in the war. In 1943, G.I. Joe, a homing pigeon with the U.S. Army Pigeon Service, flew 20 miles in 20 minutes to deliver a message that saved 1,000 British soldiers in Italy from being bombed by their own planes. The message was sent just in time to halt an airstrike that had already been ordered. G.I. Joe’s lightning-fast flight earned him the prestigious Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, proving that even the smallest creatures could turn the tide of battle.

As far as dogs, there were many dogs that helped with boosting morale. Chips, a German Shepherd-Collie-Siberian Husky mix, was part of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. In 1943, during the invasion of Sicily, he single-handedly charged a hidden enemy machine-gun nest, forcing its crew to surrender despite being wounded in the fray. For this, he was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Now this was sadly later revoked as animals were no longer eligible, but Chips’ bravery remains a testament to the critical role dogs played in saving countless lives. 

Smoky was a tiny Yorkshire Terrier. I have a Yorkie and I can testify to their ferocity. Little Smoky was found by American soldiers in the jungles of New Guinea in 1944, became a morale booster and a military asset. Though only 4 pounds, she crawled through 70 feet of piping to help lay a crucial communication wire, saving the troops days of dangerous work. Smoky also visited wounded soldiers, comforting them in ways only a devoted animal could, becoming one of the most famous therapy dogs of the war.

So we’ve talked about elephants, cats, dogs, mules, even birds! But today’s story revolves around an incredibly unlikely animal. A bear. 

The story of the 2nd Polish Corps is interesting by itself, even without learning about today’s story about a bear. The Polish Army was basically created inside Soviet territory when thousands and thousands of Polish prisoners were finally released from Soviet gulags in 1941 between then and 1943, this new Army was formed and fought for the Allies. 

In 1942, as these thousands of new troops were traveling to Tehran, Iran, some of these Polish soldiers encountered a young Iranian boy who had discovered a bear cub. He said the bear’s mother had been shot by hunters and he had rescued the cub. A polish civilian refugee who was traveling with the troops convinced them to purchase the cub from the boy and for awhile after that, the young refugee, Irena Bokiewicz, took care of the cub and raised it in a refugee camp there in Iran. 

After a few years, this bear somehow found its way to being the official mascot of the 2nd Transport Company, which later became the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. The bear was given the named Wojtek, which is a play on the slavic word “Wojciech,” which means “happy warrior.”

After being fed fruit, honey, syrup and marmalade, settled on being fed beer, which was his favorite. This obviously gave a kick to the soldiers, who also took to feeding Wojtek milk from an emptied out vodka bottle. He also took to cigarettes, but it turned out he was more interested in eating them than smoking. In the morning, they’d give the bear coffee and at night, the soldiers would take turns cuddling up to Wojtek to stay warm. Yes. They cuddled with the bear. He was that friendly.

He was so friendly, in fact, that the soldiers would even play wrestle with the bear. Pretty amazing. Wojtek the Bear stayed with the 22nd Artillery Supply Company as they left Iran, traveled through Syria, and ended up in Egypt, then later fought along-side the British Army in the Italian Campaign. The only problem with this was that to get to Italy, the British Transport ship proved to be a problem. Mascots and animals in general were forbid from riding on the ship. To address this, the Polish Army officially drafted Wojtek. He was now a Private in the Polish Army. They assigned Henryk Zacharewicz and Lew Worzowski as his handlers. And it was just about as official as you could be. He had a serial number, playbook and rank – just like the other Polish soldiers. 

In Italy, Germany fought the Allies at Montecasino from January 17 all the way until May 18. And on May 17 and 18th, at the end of the battle the 2nd Polish Corps was the group that helped to launch the final bombardment on the German position. When Allied flags were raised over the ruins, it was the Polish flag that stood next to the British flag. 

In this battle, Wojtek the Soldier Bear became famous. At this point, keep in mind, he was still very much a cub, but was quickly growing. He weighed somewhere around 200 lbs when they got him, but by the battle of Montecasino, the was around 485 lbs. He had watched the Polish Soldiers and was pretty good at mimicking their actions. One of these actions that proved valuable during the battle was carrying crates of ammo. The bear had seen men carrying these ammo crates, which weighed over 100 lbs, of 25 lb artillery shells and would do the same. They’d point the bear in the right direction and Wojtek would carry the ammo crates to soldiers in need and never dropped a single crate. It would take multiple men to carry these things, but for Wojtek, it was no problem. British Soldiers even confirmed the reports of a bear walking on two feet, calmly carrying ammo to soldiers during the battle. The Allies went on to win in Montecasino, despite losing more than twice the amount of men as the Germans. Because of his heroism during the battle, Wojtek was promoted from Private to Corporal after the battle. 

After Montecasino, the 22nd Artillery Company was sent to Scotland and the bear went with them. But when they were demobilized in November of 1947, no one knew what to do with this bear. In Scotland, he had become a very popular member of the military. Civilians were infatuated with the bear and would come to visit often. Poland wanted the bear to be taken back there after the war, but Edinburgh fought to keep him there. And that’s how Wojtek’s retirement was carried out at the Edinburgh Zoo. 

He lived in the Zoo the rest of his life and would even seem to respond when Polish tourists would speak to him in Polish. He was frequently featured on UK television, which made him even more popular. When former army mates of him would come to the zoo to visit, they’d toss him cigarettes to eat, which he still loved. In 1963, Wojtek the Bear finally passed away. He weighed 1,100 lbs and had lived to the age of 21. 

There are multiple statues and commemorations to Wojtek. The most popular stands in Edinburgh’s West Prince’s Street Garden where the bear is depicted carrying an artillery shell on two legs. But he’s been memorialized in London, Poland and at the site of the Battle of Montecasino in Italy. The Internet Says it’s True.

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