Wojtek (bear)

Syrian brown bear cub adopted in Iran by Polish soldiers during World War II / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Wojtek (1942 – 2 December 1963; Polish pronunciation: [ˈvɔjtɛk]; in English, sometimes phonetically spelled Voytek and pronounced as such) was a Syrian brown bear[1][2] (Ursus arctos syriacus) bought, as a young cub, at a railway station in Hamadan, Iran, by Polish II Corps soldiers who had been evacuated from the Soviet Union. In order to provide for his rations and transportation, he was eventually enlisted officially as a soldier with the rank of private, and was subsequently promoted to corporal.[3]

Quick facts: Wojtek The Soldier Bear, Born, Died, Allegian...
Wojtek

The Soldier Bear
Wojtek_the_bear.jpg
Polish soldier with Wojtek in 1942
Born1942
Hamadan, Imperial State of Iran
Died2 December 1963(1963-12-02) (aged 21)
Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland
AllegiancePoland
Service/branchFlag_of_the_Polish_Land_Forces.svg Polish Land Forces
Years of service1943–1945
RankKapral.png Corporal
Unit3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company, II Corps (Poland)
Battles/warsWorld War II
MemorialsWojtek Memorial Trust
Websitethesoldierbear.com
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He accompanied the bulk of the II Corps to Italy, serving with the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. During the Battle of Monte Cassino, in Italy in 1944, Wojtek helped move crates of ammunition and became a celebrity with visiting Allied generals and statesmen. After the war he was mustered out of the Polish Army and lived out the rest of his life at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.

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