It is the culmination of years of work and "reunites" Wojtek the bear with a Polish soldier for the first time in decades.
Wojtek the bear was the military mascot of a company of the Free Polish Army in the Second World War who came to Scotland with the troops after the conflict and became a symbol of unity between Scots and Polish communities.
Now his story is to be immortalised with a life-and-quarter-size bronze statue of the bear and a soldier to be unveiled in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh on Saturday, November 7.
After the soldiers initially hid the abandoned cub from senior officers, Wojtek was given a rank and serial number so his travel could be verified.
It was also famously reported that Wojtek had helped carry munitions at the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944.
After the Italian campaign, he settled in Scotland with the Polish soldiers in a displaced persons camp, and when the camp closed in 1947 he settled in Edinburgh Zoo, where he lived until he died in 1963.
While in the Borders, the soldiers and the bear became part of the community and attended concerts, dances and even children's parties.
The Wojtek Memorial Trust charity was set up by Scots and Polish supporters to help raise awareness of his story among younger people in Scotland.
It is hoped the monument, which includes a four-metre relief panel detailing six scenes from Wojtek’s life, will attract visitors from all over the world.
His story was retold in a book, Wojtek The Bear Polish Hero, written by Aileen Orr, who also founded the trust.
Simon Thompson, chair of the Wojtek Memorial Trust, which is still fundraising to complete the £300,000 total cost, said earlier that the tale "is becoming better known around the world every day".
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