Campaigners plan statue of Polish soldier bear in capital

His story is one that is well-known in Poland, but it is in Scotland that plans are afoot to erect a memorial commemorating his extraordinary life. Author Aileen Orr signed copies of her new book Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero next to a maquette depicting the famous bear in West Newington, Edinburgh, this week.

The work, by Scottish sculptor Alan Herriot, shows Wojtek's 'keeper', soldier Peter Prendys, placing a hand on the shoulder of the gentle giant, a stance he always adopted when the pair walked around camp together.

The campaign to build the 200,000 statue is supported by Cardinal Keith O'Brien and Euan Loudon, the former governor of Edinburgh Castle, and the preferred site for the artwork is Edinburgh's Calton Hill, although others being considered include Hillside Crescent.

The proposed location is over an existing water pump, described by Ms Orr as "an eyesore". With the help of an engineer, the plinth would conceal the still-functioning pump, and if the application is granted the statue will be unveiled in around 12 months' time.

Edinburgh's Lord Provost George Grubb said: "Wojtek, the Soldier Bear, was a very familiar and much-cherished figure in Edinburgh and became part of the tradition and history of the Polish community in the city. We would like to ensure that his memory is preserved for generations to come and our monuments experts are currently working with the Polish community to help identify a suitably prominent site for his memorial statue."

Wojtek was acquired by the army as a cub, and quickly took on the role of mascot to the 22nd Company of Polish Army Corps. He provided a welcome distraction from the horrors of war, wrestling with the troops and entertaining them by getting into countless scrapes, from getting stuck up a palm tree to cornering an Arab spy.

He is best remembered however for his role in the battle of Monte Cassino, where he voluntarily helped his comrades unload boxes of artillery shells for the Allied guns in the heat of battle.When the war finished, Wojtek and his company were relocated to Winfield camp in the Borders before the bear was moved to Edinburgh Zoo in 1947, where he lived out his final years.

It is the bear's relationship with his comrades which is portrayed in Herriot's sculpture, as opposed to the famous image of him carrying a mortar shell in his paws.

"Wojtek may be most famous for assisting his fellow soldiers in carrying the shells, but really the value was in the effect his presence had on morale," said Mr Herriot. "I was very keen to depict that close friendship they enjoyed with him, as well as the entertainment and laughter he brought to the troops."

Ms Orr, from Lockerbie, is behind the campaign to build the memorial to Wojtek and the men who served alongside him. She has been captivated by his story ever since she visited him at Edinburgh Zoo, aged eight, with a Polish friend. When Wojtek heard her friend speaking Polish his ears pricked up and he waved to the two delighted schoolgirls. In addition, Ms Orr's grandfather, who had met the bear on a number of occasions during the war, told her stories about him when she was a child.

"Like many men, my grandfather didn't talk about the war," she said. "But he was able to talk about it a bit by telling me about Wojtek. He met the bear while he was serving in Palestine and Egypt and it made a great impression on him. Then when Wojtek came to the Borders, he visited him regularly. What the bear offered all of these men was comfort. At a time when they were far from home, had nothing, and often no-one, Wojtek stood in for the wives, children, pets, family they'd left behind. He was someone to love and someone who loved them back."