Corporal Wojtek Bear

As an orphan cub, he was found in Persia by Polish soldiers. They nurtured him on condensed milk and fed him from an empty vodka bottle. He soon enjoyed drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and grenade practice (he got to chase lobbed oranges). But pets were banned in the army, and to stay with his unit Wojtek needed to officially enlist. So, he was given the rank of private and a serial number.

Wojtek amused himself with the soldiers in the camp by engaging in their activities, including wrestling and boxing. In addition to double rations, the soldiers gave the bear treats, cigarettes, and beer. Despite his taste for beer, Wojtek did not seem to become intoxicated. He was also a heavy smoker.

He also enjoyed riding in trucks, at first in the passenger seat when he was a cub and then in the back seat when he grew larger. One of Wojtek’s favourite activities was taking long cold showers, and he eventually learned to turn on the shower by himself. When shortages resulted from the bear’s profligate use of water, his comrades forbade him to shower alone. Nevertheless, one day Wojtek is said to have found the door to the showers open and wandered inside, where he encountered an Arab who had sneaked into the Polish camp to locate its weapons arsenal so that local dissidents might later raid it. Wojtek terrified the interloper, causing him to surrender to the Poles. As a reward, Wojtek earned himself unlimited shower time and two bottles of beer.

Wojtek became a hero of the battle of Monte Cassino (he carried artillery shells and ammo crates between trucks and troops engaged in combat). He is honoured and remembered as Coporal Wojtek. https://www.britannica.com/animal/Wojtek-the-Bear

The Bear that Fought at Monte Cassino.