Wojtek Memorial Trust unveil fundraising plea on Armistice Day Known as the Soldier Bear, Wojtek was adopted as a cub by the 22nd Company Polish Army Service and Corps troops in 1943 after an Iranian boy swapped the bear for cans of food. He quickly became a firm favourite among the troops and was enlisted as an honorary soldier and mascot for the soldiers in 1944. When the Company was assigned to help supply food and ammunition to the Allied Forces in the battle of Monte Cassino, the Soldier Bear travelled to the battle and, without a prompt, helped to carry boxes of 25lb artillery shells for his comrades under heavy gunfire without dropping a single one. A new-look Lothian Bus pays tribute to this contribution to his comrades with a larger-than-life poster of the bear. The bear who fought for our freedom and yours This is the slogan on the side of the bus, which was unveiled today at Festival Square by the Lord Provost Donald Wilson and the Wojtek Memorial Trust. Lothian Buses have provided the use of ad space on the bus free of charge for a year, a tool the trust hopes will act as a visual reminder about their fundraising push to realise their goal of a memorial in honour of Wojtek and the men and women who lived and fought with him. The campaign first launched in September 2013 when planning permission was obtained from Edinburgh City Council to have a bronze statue of Wojtek and a Polish soldier standing side by side. So far £200,000 has been raised of the £300,000 needed and the hope is to raise enough to open it on West Princes Street Gardens before the end of next year to mark the 70th anniversary since the end of the Second World War. Simon Thompson, Wojtek Memorial Trust chairman, was among a crowd of Wojtek enthusiasts at Festival Square this afternoon. It is really important to have the memorial, not just to celebrate the story of Wojtek, which is a wonderful story, but also the wider story of all the men and women who lived and fought with Wojtek. They fought for all of our freedom. It is an important story to tell, particularly on Armistice Day and Polish Independence Day today. Wojtek is a wonderful way into that wider story. We have raised £200,000 of the £300,000 we need so far so hopefully with the help of the bus going around the city raising awareness, we will be able to raise the rest of the money we need so we can unveil Wojtek's statue in Princes Street Gardens some point towards the end of next year. After excited fans stopped for a snap of the bus, the Lord Provost officially cut the ribbon and announced the new-look bus open for business. "There are many ties between the capital and communities in Poland, and the story of Edinburgh's adopted solider bear is a firm family favourite," Mr Wilson said. I'm sure the one-of-a-kind bus will bring a smile to passengers and, importantly help the trust's fundraising appeal to install a Wojtek statue in the heart of the city. Wojtek's return to Edinburgh will allow his tale to be remembered and his legacy to endure.