Cats on Royal Navy Ships

[Slipdigit]

Quite an accomplishment for a cat.

The Unsinkable Sam

Previously named Oscar, he was the ship's cat of the German battleship Bismarck. When she was sunk on 27 May 1941, only 116 out of a crew of over 2,200 survived. Oscar was luckily picked up by the destroyer HMS Cossack. Cossack herself was torpedoed and sunk a few months later, on 24 October, killing 159 of her crew. Oscar again survived to be rescued, and was taken to Gibraltar. He became the ship's cat of HMS Ark Royal but she too was torpedoed and sunk in November that year. Oscar was again rescued, but it was decided to transfer him to a home on land. By now known as 'Unsinkable Sam', he was given a new job as mouse-catcher in the Governor General of Gibraltar's office buildings. He was eventually returned to the UK and spent the rest of his life at the 'Home for Sailors'. A portrait of him hangs in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

Found it on Wikipedia and there were other ship's cats listed.

[kfz]

I was gonna post that Slip I saw it too.

[von Poop]

Some more Naval cats from IWM collections:

BATTLE SCHOOL FOR U-BOAT HUNTERS: ROYAL NAVAL TRAINING AT TOBERMORY, MULL, SCOTLAND, UK, 1944
Lieutenant Commander R H Palmer OBE, RNVR plays with Peebles, the ship's cat, on board HMS WESTERN ISLES, Tobermory, Mull. According to the original caption, Peebles is very clever and shakes the hands of strangers when they enter the wardroom. Here he is 'jumping through the hoop' made by Lt Cdr Palmer's arms.

THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Tiddles, the ship's cat of HMS VICTORIOUS, at his favourite station on the after capstan, where he can play with the bell-rope. Tiddles now serving on board HMS VICTORIOUS as Captain's cat, has spent his whole life on board aircraft carriers. Born on the high seas on board HMS ARGUS he has 30,000 miles to his credit.

ANIMALS AT WAR: ROYAL NAVY MASCOT 'CONVOY', HMS HERMIONE, GIBRALTAR, 26 NOVEMBER 1941
A group of sailors surround the ship's cat "Convoy", as he sleeps in a miniature hammock on board HMS HERMIONE. According to the original caption, "Convoy" is in the ship's book and provided with full kit. The cat obtained his name because of the number of times he accompanied the ship on duty patrols.

[Gibbo]

There's a notice on HMS Belfast, now preserved in London on the Thames near Tower Bridge, that she had 3 cats when in active service. She still has 3, a live one & 2 models that are part of the displays of a mess deck & the galley. Unfortunately the live one wasn't about when I visited.