The name of this bear was Voytey, who served in the 22nd Artillery Company of the Polish Second Army during World War II. In 1942, the 22nd Artillery Company of the Polish Second Army while marching in Iran encountered a little boy selling a small brown bear. The lieutenant company commander decided to buy the little bear with a can.
Since Wojtek was too young to swallow food, the Polish soldiers acted as wet nurses and fed him milk from brandy bottles.
Under the careful care of the Polish soldiers, the bear quickly adapted to life in the army.
He walked on two legs when he had nothing to do. The commander would also salute and greet other soldiers.
The soldiers did not regard Voytek as a bear. They felt like a family. Of course, this guy seemed completely unaware that he was a bear.
Soon, Voytek learned various "bad habits" and was proficient in smoking and drinking.
He loved wrestling and fighting with the soldiers. , of course, no one can beat him (this guy was fed by the Polish soldier fathers until he weighed more than 500 kilograms, and no one could bear it)
Soon the Allied High Command issued an order: the army was not allowed to keep pets
On the way to Italy to fight, they needed to take a friendly ship, but the friendly forces refused to board Wojtek on the grounds of the command's order
So Foy Tek was officially incorporated into the 22nd Artillery Company and was awarded the rank of Private
Don't think that Wojtek is just eating and drinking in the army, this bear is really extraordinary
The cruelty of the battlefield has left a shadow in the heart of every Polish soldier, and the threat of death will make the soldiers overly nervous
But with Wojtek here, this cute big bear The military meeting eliminates the tension and fear in the hearts of soldiers.
In the most famous mountain battle of World War II, the Battle of Cassino, Voytek accompanied the army. As a glorious artilleryman, Voytek had advantages that ordinary soldiers did not have. He was calm, steady, and powerful.
In the dense German artillery fire, Voytek shuttled through the dense artillery fire of the German army, carrying 100-pound artillery shells. On the battlefield, he never missed a path and never lost a shell. Wojtek's calmness and composure as he shuttled through the indiscriminately bombed battlefield were difficult for human soldiers to achieve.
Voytek was awarded the rank of corporal for his heroic performance in the Battle of Cassino, and at the request of all the company's soldiers, their company logo was changed to Voytek. Holding the image of a cannonball, Wojtek has become an inseparable part of the company
After the war, Wojtek was also discharged and returned to his field, and was sent to a zoo in Edinburgh for retirement
It is said that every time a Polish person greeted him in Polish at the zoo, he would wave happily
There were also old Polish people. Soldiers brought cigarettes and alcohol over the wall to visit Wojtek, an old comrade, and Wojtek would be happy to hug and wrestle with them
In 1963, Wojtek passed away at the age of 22. In order to commemorate this "British Bear", many statues of Wojtek were built in the UK, Poland, Canada and other places to express respect for Wojtek