For a group of Poles in World War II, it wasn’t a canine. It was a brown bear. Yes, you heard right. A bear. In another account, they tell the story of a thwarted espionage attempt:
Story has it that in the heat of summer he learned to work the shower, and used it so often that the Nissen hut had to be locked to prevent him exhausting the water supply.
On one occasion, Voytek was delighted to find the door ajar. Entering the bear discovered a cowering Arab who had come to spy out the lie of the land for a raiding party, intending to steal all the weapons and ammunition.
The spy confessed all, the raiding party were rounded up, and Voytek became a hero. He was given two bottles of beer and allowed to spend all morning splashing happily in the bath hut.
Here’s a video telling of the story:
And the whole story has a happy ending. Voytek gets the memorial he deserved:
