The Submarine and the Festive Fawn: Operation Pollyanna

When the world was war-torn and weather worn, wondrous whimsical wonders would waft with the waves. This strange and surreal story sails straight from the submerged services of the Second World War, detailing a remarkable relationship radiating from Russia’s rugged regions. It is the tale of a torpedo traveler and its tiny, tundra-tamed tourist.

An Unconventional Gift

The year was 1942. Great Britain and the Soviet Union were allies, locked in a brutal struggle against Nazi Germany. A key supply route ran through the frigid, perilous waters of the Arctic—a convoy mission known as the Murmansk Run. The British Navy was actively supporting their Soviet counterparts in the region.
One such vessel was the British submarine HMS Trident, commanded by Lieutenant Commander J.G.D. “George” Ouvry. The Trident was assigned to patrol the deep, dark seas near Murmansk, a mission of extreme cold and constant danger.

During a rare break in port, the captain was discussing the hardships of the Arctic campaign with a Soviet admiral, casually mentioning that his wife back home missed the simple things, like having fresh meat and managing without rationing. The captain also remarked, in jest, how difficult it was to clear the snow from his path.

The Soviet Admiral, known for his idiosyncratic sense of humor and surprising generosity, took the jest to heart. He presented the British captain not with a medal, or a crate of vodka, but with a live, fully grown reindeer calf.

The Reindeer of the Royal Navy

This creature, promptly christened Pollyanna (after the optimistic heroine of a popular novel), became the Trident’s most unusual crew member.

The submarine was, by necessity, a cramped and metallic maze of pipes and wires—an utterly unsuitable habitat for a hoofed animal. Yet, Pollyanna made her home aboard the submersible vessel.

 * Accommodation: She was initially housed in the torpedo stowage compartment, but as this was often damp, she was eventually allowed to sleep in the relatively spacious officer's mess, sometimes even under the captain's bunk.

 * Diet: Her main diet consisted of compressed moss provided by the Soviets, supplemented by scraps from the galley and, bizarrely, condensed milk, which she seemed to enjoy.

 * Behavior: The captain reported that whenever the Trident surfaced to recharge its batteries, Pollyanna would barge her way to the top hatch, eager to be the first creature to breathe the fresh Arctic air, even before the officers.

Pollyanna sailed with the Trident for six weeks, surviving both a torpedo attack and a depth-charge encounter. When the submarine finally returned to the U.K. in late 1942, Pollyanna disembarked as a four-legged celebrity. She was eventually donated to the Whipsnade Zoo near London, where she lived out the rest of her days, a charming, woolen relic of a bizarre wartime alliance and a truly extraordinary shipmate.

Pollyanna, the peculiar pilot passenger, proved the power of profound presence. Nimble and noiseless, she negated the negativity of the naval nightmare. Faith flickered firmly in the frosty fjord, as fauna and fighting forces found fraternity. All along the Arctic, the allied animal astonished all aboard.

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