A flurry of articles has emerged in the international press over the last week about an unlikely hero. Voytek (Polish Wojtek) was a Syrian bear who fought alongside Polish soldiers during the Second World War. Forgotten for many years by all but the faithful few, the bear is now being proposed for a monument and a Hollywood film.
The story of Voytek begins in Iran, where General Anders' Second Polish Corps was preparing to throw itself into battle. The bear-cub was bought from a local boy, and it was reared on condensed milk from an empty vodka bottle.
Voytek soon came to see himself as an ordinary soldier in the corps. He enjoyed play-fights with his comrades-in-arms, and was fond of the odd beer or smoke. He usually took a single puff on a ciggie, then gobbled it up.
Voytek's greatest moment came at Monte Cassino, one of the most fabled battles of the Second World War. The bear had become the mascot of the second artillery company, and during the heat of the battle, Voytek marched over to a vehicle and began carrying fresh ammunition shells to his comrades.
After the war, Anders' army was stuck in a terrible dilemma. Technically the soldiers were victorious, but the Red Army had now swept into Poland, and the Western Allies were nervous about dictating to Stalin. As a result, the vast majority of Anders' soldiers stayed in Great Britain. Voytek found a home in Edinburgh zoo. He became a frequent guest on 'Blue Peter', but it's said that he was never as jolly again, feeling abandoned by his comrades in arms. He died in 1963, but until the end of his days he enjoyed a ciggie, and perked his ears up excitedly whenever he heard Polish.
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