Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II

James Williams’s work with elephants is marked by one consistent theme: he sees each elephant as a unique individual in its own right, endowed with a specific personality and particular traits, both physical and psychological. Williams recognizes that elephants not only have superior cognitive abilities, but they also have complex social capacities, which leads to intricate interactions between individuals:

More than any other animal, he believed, they craved conversation. Their vocabularies, the number of words they understood, were astonishing, but to Williams, [...] there was something that counted more. These creatures could read underlying emotion, understand intent, perceive what was really being expressed (4).

This, in part, is what cements the bond between Williams and Bandoola—though he would have meaningful relationships with many mammoth individuals during his time in the Burmese jungle.

As his biography makes clear, Williams is always receptive to the emotions of animals, becoming close with donkeys, dogs, and camels, as well as elephants, but what elevates his relationships with them is their individuality: “His fondness extended to most creatures, but it was individual animals who affected him most deeply. He recognized their distinct personalities even when few others did” (12). He utilizes this talent in his dealings with elephants—especially the remarkable Bandoola, who clearly “had a mind of his own” (24).