Wojtek was a Syrian brown bear that was born in 1941 or 1942 near Hamadan, Persia. His mother was shot by a hunter and the little cub was bought on April 8, 1942, from two Persian boys by lieutenant Anatol Tarnowiecki, the later commander of the 3rd company, 6th battalion of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division. He bought the animal for a handful of tomans and a few cans of beef.

Then the bear was given to Irena Bokiewicz, an 18-year-old Polish woman evacuated with the Army of General Władysław Anders from the Soviet Union. Initially, the bear lived in a tent with its guardian. He could not eat on his own, therefore he was fed milk, which Wojtek drank from a bottle soaked in a rag to replace the teat. Unfortunately, the bear turned out to be very stubborn and at night he walked on the heads of sleeping women who could not bear his frolics. Therefore, the guardian decided to give him to General Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz. In this way, the bear ended up with the staff officers.

Wojtek also behaved unruly with the new owners. After he ate meals intended for the military, the officers made a decision to transfer it to one of the sub-squads. They chose the 2nd Transport Company, renamed in 1943 into the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. This unit was then stationed in Palestine in the Gedera camp. The bear moved there on August 22, 1942. He was drawn into the list of soldiers and was officially named Wojtek. He was given the rank of private, his own military book, registration number and a double food ration.

Wojtek’s guardian was Corporal Piotr Prendysz. He lived with Wojtek in a separate tent, and the bear cub usually went to his guardian’s bunk at night. Well-fed Wojtek grew into a large bear – he was about 2 meters tall and weighed 250 kg. One of his favorite games was wrestling with soldiers.

Wojtek was very worried about the heat in the Middle East. The soldiers, wanting to ease his life, dug a big hole, in which the bear often sat. poured with water from time to time. Perhaps this is the origin of Wojtek’s love for water. It even allowed it to capture an Arab spy. During his stay in Iraq, the bear noticed that the padlock was removed from the door in the shower barrack. He decided to use it to take a bath as he had quickly mastered the art of taking a shower. It turned out that inside he met an Arab spy who was gathering information before the Arab attack planned for the next day. As a reward, the bear was given a shower barrack at his sole disposal.

Wojtek has never been treated by Polish soldiers as a typical animal but as one of them. He turned out to be a great companion during the 24-hour watch. Soldiers could always count on the bear. Due to his posture, he performed the function of a guard very well. The bear cub loved to drive a military truck. Driving initially in the cab, and when he no longer fit in it, Wojtek sat on the rear platform. The animal also had his weaknesses. He liked the cigarettes very much treating them like sweets. Wojtek was also very fond of beer, which was often an occasion to make fun of hit when soldiers handed him empty bottles.

In the spring of 1944, the 22nd Company was to be transported on the “Batory” ship from Egypt to Italy. British command had issued a ban on bringing animals onto the ship. The day before boarding, there was a roll-call, to which only one soldier – Private Wojtek – did not come to. The British colonel ordered him to be brought for clarification. His amazement was great. Only after explaining that the bear awakens the fighting spirit in the Polish army, the British command agreed to embark Wojtek. At the same time, General Anders officially promoted him to the rank of corporal.

After arriving in Italy, Wojtek went through the entire combat trail with his 22nd company. During the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek dealt with supplies. The bear provided ammunition to troops during combat. During the fights, he helped his companions load and unload boxes with ammunition from the car. It was an amazing sight – a bear walking on two legs with an ammunition crate. Wojtek was gently putting down the package, and then on four legs, he ran for another package. This event prompted one of the soldiers of the 22nd Company to sketch a drawing of a bear walking on two legs with an artillery shell in its paws, which became the symbol of the sub-unit.

After the end of war hostilities, Wojtek and his unit were sent to Glasgow in Scotland to Winfield Park. The information about the Polish bear quickly attracted the attention of the local civilian population, as well as the press. Wojtek even became a member of the Polish-Scottish Society. Soon after, the 22nd Company was demobilized. Some soldiers decided to return to the country ruled by communists, while others chose to live in exile. A decision was also made to send the bear to the zoo in the capital of Scotland – Edinburgh.

The garden director agreed to take Wojtek in and not give him to anyone without the consent of Major Antoni Chełkowski. In November 1947, the bear finally left the military ranks. His former comrades-in-arms often visited him at the Edinburgh Zoo, where, to the surprise and horror of bystanders, they jumped over the fence and wrestled with him. Wojtek died in Edinburgh on December 2, 1963.