37. The Polish Fighting Bear
In the spring of 1942, the Polish II Corps, accompanied by Polish war refugees, was passing through Iran en route from the Soviet Union to the Mediterranean Theater. On April 8th, some of the soldiers came across an Iranian boy who had found a Syrian brown bear cub – its mother had recently been shot by hunters. On the spur of the moment, the Poles bought the cub, which was raised for the next three months at a Polish refugee camp near Tehran, before it was donated to one of the Polish II Corps’ units.
The young bear was initially fed on condensed milk, before graduating to fruits and honey and marmalade. His favorite repast, however, was beer, which became his reward for good behavior. He also enjoyed smoking – or eating – cigarettes, especially while drinking coffee. Named Wojtek, a diminutive of a Slavic term meaning “Happy Warrior”, the bear became a beloved mascot who often cuddled up to and slept with the soldiers at night. He accompanied his comrades through Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. When the unit prepared to move to Italy, however, red tape threatened to keep Wotjek behind: British authorities refused to let him board a transport, because of regulations prohibiting pets and mascots. So the Poles officially enlisted the bear as a private in the 22nd Artillery Supply Company.