Adopted as an orphaned cub in 1942 by the 22nd Artillery Division of the Polish 2nd Corps, Wojtek, which in Polish means 'smiling warrior' or 'he who enjoys war ', quickly became an adored mascot. Above: The bear with a bottle of beer
The cigarette smoking, beer drinking bear that helped fight the Nazis: Work begins on new animated film telling the remarkable true story of how Wojtek the bear fought alongside Polish soldiers during World War Two
- Wojtek was adopted as an orphaned cub in 1942 by Polish troops
- He went on to be given the rank of Private and learnt to carry ammunition
- Animated film was announced in 2018 but was halted by coronavirus pandemic
- Now, it has emerged that Fleabag star Bill Paterson is among stars signed up
Adopted as an orphaned cub in 1942 by the 22nd Artillery Division of the Polish 2nd Corps, Wojtek, which in Polish means 'smiling warrior' or 'he who enjoys war', quickly became an adored mascot.
He went on to be officially given the rank of Private and learnt to march alongside the troops, salute and even carry cases of ammunition.
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