The bear who was a private in the Polish army

A bear, famed for his emotion of beer, cigarettes and boxing and who was by the broadside of Allied troops successful World War Two, has been made the taxable of a play.

Wojtek was adopted by the 2nd Polish Corps successful 1943, aft his parent was changeable by hunters.

The Syrian brownish carnivore travelled with them from the Middle East arsenic they were deployed to Italy. Allied soldiers described their daze astatine seeing Wojtek carrying artillery shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino.

The communicative of relationship and courageousness has been adapted for a accumulation astatine Coventry's Albany Theatre by writer Alan Pollock from his children's publication The Bear Who Went To War.

Sue Butler's begetter was 1 of the soldiers successful the warfare alongside Wojtek.

"Dad said helium was a awesome that agreed the soldiers, helium was overmuch much than a bear, helium thought helium was 1 of them," she said.

Like galore veterans, Cpl Andrzej Gasior did not speech overmuch astir his experiences of warfare arsenic she was increasing up, Mrs Butler, from Solihull, said.

"But erstwhile helium started to archer maine stories astir this worker who was really a carnivore I didn't judge him astatine first, I thought helium was winding maine up.

"But it was successful a section Polish nine that a person of his brought a representation to amusement maine of Wojtek".

Her begetter had been enactment successful a Siberian labour campy aged 16 aft being caught crossing the Polish borderline to commercialized boots and food.

He became sick and said the warfare saved his beingness arsenic the penetration of Poland prompted the Soviet Union to fto the Poles go, she said.

Her begetter joined the Polish Free Army, arsenic helium called it, and met Wojtek portion successful the Middle East.

Wojtek was famed arsenic a carnivore who liked brew and cigarettes but the information whitethorn person been a small much prosaic.

The carnivore was particularly partial to dates, which her begetter would transportation successful his apical pouch arsenic a treat, Mrs Butler said.

"If dada pretended to locomotion past Wojtek helium knew that he'd got thing and would marque a beeline for him," she said.

"He told maine different soldiers wrestled with the bear, and though helium is sometimes seen drinking bottles of beer, my dada said the brew was sometimes excessively precious and often it was conscionable water."

He would besides inquire for cigarettes, which helium would eat.

The soldiers were precise protective of their colleague, she added, who served arsenic a large morale booster.

"He was a displaced bear, and they were displaced radical and they were some without their families".

The carnal was "very comic and rather mischievous," she added, but yet "thought helium was 1 of them".

"They had each travel retired [of Siberia] emaciated, and been downtrodden by the Russian authorities for specified a agelong time, and this carnivore abruptly comes into their lives who hasn't got his mom."

When the Polish forces were deployed to Europe the lone mode to instrumentality the carnivore with them was to "enlist" him.

So helium was fixed a name, fertile and fig and took portion successful the Italian campaign.

In 1 interview, a British seasoned told however taken aback helium was to spot the 1.82m (6ft) carnivore carrying shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino.

The institution emblem became a representation of Wojtek carrying a shell.

"My dada said I'm definite helium kept america going" during that battle, said Mrs Butler.

"He perfectly showed that helium was frightened by the explosions but helium got utilized to it and was carting artillery astir the spot successful large boxes."

When the Polish soldiers were demobilised Wojtek lived successful Berwickshire successful Scotland earlier being taken to Edinburgh Zoo wherever helium yet died successful 1963.

Cpl Gasior travelled to England, archetypal moving astatine a colliery successful Preston earlier joining a circus and ending up successful the West Midlands.

He joined Johanna O'Connel, a canteen idiosyncratic helium met astatine Gaydon Airfield adjacent Coventry, earlier the mates settled successful Birmingham.

"But earlier helium came southbound helium did spell and sojourn Wojtek successful Edinburgh," said Mrs Butler.

"Polish men of his epoch were taught not to outcry arsenic it was seen arsenic a motion of weakness" she said.

"But helium told maine erstwhile helium saw Wojtek astatine the zoo helium sobbed similar a baby".

Playwright Mr Pollock said helium had been alerted to the communicative by a 90-year-old pistillate portion carrying retired probe astatine Coventry's Polish Club.

"I had to halt her and accidental 'I'm atrocious tin you repetition that, a carnivore was a backstage successful the Polish army?'

"She told maine the communicative and from that infinitesimal I was gripped, I don't deliberation I've ever heard a communicative that I truthful instantly knew I wanted to tell."

Many of the soldiers ended up settling successful the UK, helium said.

"They deliberation erstwhile the conflict is won they tin spell home, but of people Poland is occupied by the Soviet Union and they tin ne'er spell back," helium said.

"Most of them near location successful 1939 oregon 1940 and galore of them ne'er saw their homes oregon their families ever again."

Mrs Butler said she lone precocious heard of the accumulation done her daughter-in-law who works astatine the theatre.

"I deliberation Julia mentioned it to my son, Tom, and helium said 'I'm perfectly affirmative my grandad met that bear,' but I don't deliberation she believed him astatine first.

"It's a tiny satellite and sometimes things conscionable each align, don't they," she added.

Her begetter lived to the property of 92 and died successful 2014.

"He's my hero, my dada is. He was an astonishing man, and I'm conscionable truthful arrogant to beryllium his daughter".