Wojtek: The Bear Who Served as a Private in the Polish Army

A theatrical production has been created about a bear, renowned for its fondness for beer, cigarettes, and boxing, which accompanied Allied forces during World War Two. Wojtek, a Syrian brown bear, was taken in by the 2nd Polish Corps in 1943, following the death of his mother, who was killed by hunters. This Syrian brown bear journeyed with the corps from the Middle East to Italy during their deployment. Allied personnel recounted their astonishment upon observing Wojtek transporting artillery shells amidst the Battle of Monte Cassino. This narrative of camaraderie and bravery has been adapted into a stage production at Coventry’s Albany Theatre by author Alan Pollock, based on his children’s book, The Bear Who Went To War. Sue Butler’s father served as one of the soldiers who fought alongside Wojtek during the conflict. “Dad said he was a symbol that united the soldiers. He was much more than a bear, he thought he was one of them,” she stated. Mrs Butler, residing in Solihull, mentioned that Cpl Andrzej Gasior, like numerous other veterans, rarely discussed his wartime experiences during her childhood. “When he started to tell me stories about this soldier who was actually a bear, I didn’t believe him at first. I thought he was winding me up.” “But it was in a local Polish club that a friend of his brought a picture to show me of Wojtek.” At the age of 16, Mrs Butler’s father was interned in a Siberian labour camp after being apprehended while attempting to cross the Polish border to exchange boots and food. He fell ill and recounted that the war preserved his life, as the invasion of Poland led the Soviet Union to release Polish prisoners. Subsequently, he enlisted in what he referred to as the Polish Free Army, encountering Wojtek in the Middle East. While Wojtek gained renown for his supposed liking of beer and cigarettes, the reality might have been somewhat less extraordinary. Mrs Butler indicated that the bear particularly enjoyed dates, which her father would keep in his top pocket as a special indulgence. “If dad pretended to walk past Wojtek he knew that he’d got something and would make a beeline for him,” she recounted. “He told me other soldiers wrestled with the bear, and although he is sometimes seen drinking bottles of beer, my dad said the beer was sometimes too precious and often it was just water.” “He would also ask for cigarettes, which he would eat.” Mrs Butler stated that the soldiers were highly protective of their companion, who significantly boosted morale. She remarked, “He was a displaced bear and they were displaced people, and they were both without their families.” She further described the animal as “very funny and quite mischievous,” but ultimately believed “he thought he was one of them.” She explained: “They had all come out [of Siberia] emaciated, and been downtrodden by the Russian state for such a long time, and this bear suddenly comes into their lives who hasn’t got his mom.” Upon the deployment of Polish forces to Europe, the sole method to transport the bear with them was to formally “enlist” him. Consequently, he was assigned a name, rank, and number, and participated in the Italian campaign. A British veteran, in an interview, expressed his astonishment at witnessing the 1.82m (6ft) bear transporting shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino. A depiction of Wojtek carrying a shell subsequently became the company’s emblem. Mrs Butler recounted that her father had told her, “I’m sure he kept us going” throughout that particular battle. “He absolutely showed that he was scared by the explosions but he got used to it and was carting artillery around the place in big boxes,” she stated. Following the demobilization of the Polish soldiers, Wojtek resided in Berwickshire, Scotland, prior to his relocation to Edinburgh Zoo, where he passed away in 1963. Cpl Gasior journeyed to England, initially employed at a colliery in Preston, then joining a circus, and ultimately settling in the West Midlands. He married Johanna O’Connel, a canteen worker he encountered at Gaydon Airfield in Warwickshire, before the pair established their home in Birmingham. Mrs Butler mentioned that her father had visited Wojtek in Edinburgh prior to his move south. “Polish men of his era were taught not to cry as it was seen as a sign of weakness,” she remarked. “But he told me when he saw Wojtek at the zoo, he sobbed like a baby.” Playwright Mr Pollock stated that a 90-year-old woman informed him of the story during his research at Coventry’s Polish Club. He recounted: “I had to stop her and say, ‘I’m sorry can you repeat that? A bear was a private in the Polish army?'” “She told me the story and from that moment I was gripped. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a story that I so instantly knew I wanted to tell.” He noted that a significant number of the soldiers ultimately established residency in the UK. “They think when the battle is won they can go home, but of course Poland is occupied by the Soviet Union and they can never go back,” he explained. “Most of them left home in 1939 or 1940 and many of them never saw their homes or their families ever again.” Mrs Butler stated that she had only recently learned about the production via her daughter-in-law, who is employed at the theatre. “I think Julia mentioned it to my son, Tom, and he said, ‘I’m absolutely positive my grandad met that bear,’ but I don’t think she believed him at first.” She further commented: “It’s a small world and sometimes things just all align, don’t they?” Her father reached the age of 92, passing away in 2014. Mrs Butler declared: “He’s my hero, my dad is. He was an amazing man, and I’m just so proud to be his daughter.” Alan Pollack’s book, The Bear Who Went to War, is published by Old Barn Books, and the theatrical adaptation is being performed at the Albany Theatre Coventry until 2 November.