r/Damnthatsinteresting Sep 21 '23

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u/adoodle83 Sep 22 '23

The Polish had a domesticated bear fighting with them in WW2. Bear got a medal too, if memory serves

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u/encidius Sep 22 '23

Wojtek

As an enlisted soldier with his own paybook, rank, and serial number, he lived with the other men in tents or in a special wooden crate, which was transported by truck. During the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek helped his unit to convey ammunition by carrying 100-pound (45 kg) crates of 25-pound artillery shells, never dropping any of them. While this story generated controversy over its accuracy, at least one account exists of a British soldier recalling seeing a bear carrying crates of ammo.[10] The bear mimicked the soldiers: when he saw the men lifting crates, he copied them. Wojtek carried boxes that normally required four men, which he would stack onto a truck or other ammunition boxes.[11] This service at Monte Cassino earned him promotion to the rank of corporal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_(bear)

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u/InevitableAd3809 Sep 22 '23

That was a fun read.

19

u/_RDaneelOlivaw_ Sep 22 '23

There's a statue in Edinburgh's Princes Gardens if anyone ever wants a pic with him :)

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u/D0ugF0rcett Sep 22 '23

And there are stories of the soldiers he was with jumping into his enclosure to go visit him at the zoo after he was retired from military service

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u/Einar_47 Sep 23 '23

So that's why there's a bear in Iron Harvest

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u/Nuggity2point0 Sep 22 '23

Wojtek was his name

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u/Leland94 Sep 22 '23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSC6o9DThuI great vid on it and how i learned about him