Tabby in Love

[polish-spirit]

Polska flaga nad gruzami klasztoru na wzgórzu Monte Cassino (1944).

Koloryzacja: Mikołaj Kaczmarek.

[perpetualicontiger]

12 May, 1944 Monte Cassino, Italy

A decisive attack of II Polish Corps started under the command of General Władysław Anders. Soldiers were heading for a night attack in a mined, almost unprotected terrain under heavy fire from highly trained German paratroopers.

For the next four days, artillery has been constantly shooting enemy positions. The monastery was all the harder to take because of the allied shelling and bombing raids. The monastery and the surrounding terrain were heavily damaged which slowed down the attack.

924 Polish soldiers were killed in the fight at Monte Cassino, 2930 were injured and 345. were found missing

[perpetualicontiger]

On December 2, 1963, in the zoo in Edinburgh was died 22-year-old Miś Wojtek, corporal of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company in the 2nd Polish Corps.

At a railroad station in Hamadan, Iran, on 8 April 1942, Polish soldiers encountered a young Iranian boy who had found a bear cub whose mother had been shot by hunters. In August, the bear endend up with the 2nd Transport Company, which later became the 22nd Artillery Supply Company, and he was named Wojtek by the soldiers. The name Wojtek is the nickname, diminutive form, or hypocorism of "Wojciech" (Happy Warrior), an old Slavic name still common in Poland.

The bear took part in the battle for Monte Cassino. He was given the rank of corporal in the unit.️

He was famous for having fun and drinking beer behind his comrades-in-arms. When he had to carry artillery shells.

Wojtek's story has become a permanent feature of Polish historiography and still arouses interest among many readers who cannot believe that it really happened.

[ultrafacts]

Wojtek was a Syrian brown bear adopted by the Polish II Corps during World War II. He was officially enlisted as a soldier to ensure he could travel with the unit and was given the rank of private. He became famous for helping carry artillery shells during the Battle of Monte Cassino. Wojtek was also known for drinking beer, eating cigarettes, and wrestling with soldiers.

After the war, he was taken to Scotland, where he lived at the Edinburgh Zoo until his passing in 1963.

[historyhalls]

Find out about Wojtek the bear, adopted as a cub by polish WWII in WWII and formally enlisted, he performed heroically in battle

Corporal Wojtek the Bear: World War II's Furriest Soldier

[agnus-agni]

[jeanfrancoisrey]

Coquelicots, oliviers et mas en Provence…

[04k96]

[vintageisbest]

[earthanthem]

(via Copper Hair)

[beautifulwilduniverse]

[beautifulwilduniverse]

[beautifulwilduniverse]

[beautifulwilduniverse]

[beautifulwilduniverse]

[beautifulwilduniverse]

[foggycatgarden]

Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman performing together at the Royal National Theater’s production of the William Shakespeare play “Antony and Cleopatra”, 1998'