Wojtek, the bear who was enlisted as a soldier in World War II
Adopted by Polish troops, a brown bear was formally enlisted with a rank and serial number and hauled crates of artillery shells at the Battle of Monte Cassino — later becoming his unit's emblem.
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Polish soldiers traded a Swiss army knife and food for an orphaned bear cub in Iran.
Soldiers bypassed British transport rules by formally enlisting the bear as a Private with a service number.
Wojtek carried hundred-pound ammunition crates at Monte Cassino that typically required four men to move.
The twenty-second artillery supply company redesigned their official emblem to feature the bear hauling a shell.
Wojtek retired to the Edinburgh Zoo where he still responded to the Polish language from former comrades.
The five-hundred-pound Syrian brown bear was promoted to the rank of Corporal for his wartime service.
- 01Intro1 min
- 02The Cub from the Mountains2 min
- 03Becoming a Soldier2 min
- 04The Fire of Monte Cassino3 min
- 05Post-War Life and Legacy3 min
- 06Outro1 min
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- Wojtek the Bear: A Real Polish, World War II Furry Soldier | Snopes.com
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- Wojtek the Polish soldier bear | Stripes Europe
- Wojtek the Soldier Bear | World War II Database
- Polish Corporal Wojtek – The Non-Human WWII Hero | War History Online
- Wojtek: The Bear who Fought for Poland in World War II | TheCollector
- Wojtek: The bear who was a private in the Polish army - BBC News
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- On 15 November 1947, Wojtek the bear was moved from the Anders’ Army to the Edinburgh Zoo - News Institute of National Remembrance
- Wojtek: The Bear That Joined the Polish Army and Fought the Nazis - DER SPIEGEL
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- Meet Wojtek, the amazing soldier bear from the Second World War | The Northern Echo
- Wojtek - the bear who became a soldier | Batalie.pl
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