Warrior the war horse and Winnie-the-Pooh

Warrior the war horse was a famous and well loved resident of the Isle of Wight, UK. The movie War Horse was based upon his life during world war one.
You will find references to Warrior at the Isle of Wight Heritage Museum and Carisbrooke Castle where there is a statue to him and his owner General Jack Seely in the center of Princess Beatrice's Garden at Carisbrooke.
(There is also a book, still available, written about the famous pair.)
It is a heart warming story to know that Warrior went to war, survived the entire first world war and lived many years afterwards.
But the story that most people do not know, is of his connection to Winnie-the-Pooh! Enlarge the second photograph if you can to read the text.


The inscription reads: Warrior 1908-1944 "I do not believe he is denied in heaven the soul he had on earth" General Jack Seely 1868-1947


The text under the photograph reads:
Warrior met Winnie. Whilst in England training with the Canadian cavalry Warrior met this black bear cub known as Winnie. He was an orphan bear named after the town Winnipeg in Canada and was the mascot for the Fort Garry Horse.

Winnie-the Pooh
When the cavalry moved to France Winnie was left at London Zoo where he was very popular.
After visiting him, a small boy Christopher Robin Milne, named his teddy bear after Winnie.
Christopher's father, the writer A.A. Milne used Winnie as inspiration for the children's book Winnie-the-Pooh written in 1926.


Looking down from the ramparts of Carisbrooke Castle on the Warrior statue.

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