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stationed in the city in the late 1940s. At this stage, it is thought Simon was approximately a year old, and was very undernourished and unwell. Hickinbottom smuggled the cat aboard ship, and Simon soon ingratiated himself with the crew and officers, particularly because he was adept at catching and
231:
The crew viewed Simon as a lucky mascot, and when the ship's commander changed later in 1948, the outgoing Ian
Griffiths left the cat for his successor, Lieutenant Commander Bernard Skinner, who took an immediate liking to the friendly animal. However, Skinner's first mission in command of the
348:
Whilst in quarantine, Simon contracted a virus and, despite the attentions of medical staff and thousands of well-wishers, died on 28 November 1949 from a complication of the viral infection caused by his war wounds. Hundreds, including the entire crew of HMS
456:
distinguished and meritorious service... single-handedly and unarmed stalk down and destroy "Mao Tse-tung" a rat guilty of raiding food supplies which were critically short. Be it further known that from April 22 to August 4, you did rid HMS
280:, but he was not expected to last the night. He managed to survive, however, and after a period of recovery, returned to his former duties in spite of the indifference he faced from the new captain, Lieutenant Commander
410:
268:
opened fire on the frigate. One of the first rounds tore through the captain's cabin, seriously wounding Simon. Lieutenant
Commander Skinner died of his wounds soon after the attack.
328:
in
November when the ship returned. Simon was, however, like all animals entering the UK, subject to quarantine regulations, and was immediately sent to an animal centre in
284:. While anchored in the river, the ship had become overrun with rats, and Simon took on the task of removing them with vigour, as well as raising the morale of the sailors.
228:
killing rats on the lower decks. Simon rapidly gained a reputation for cheekiness, leaving presents of dead rats in sailors' beds, and sleeping in the captain's cap.
276:
The badly wounded cat crawled on deck, and was rushed to the medical bay, where the ship's surviving medical staff cleaned his burns, and removed four pieces of
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985:
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320:). Thousands of letters were written to him, so many that one Lt. Stewart Hett was appointed "cat officer" to deal with Simon's post. At every port
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Following the ship's escape from the
Yangtze, Simon became an instant celebrity, lauded in British and world news, and presented with the "Animal
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Simon is also commemorated with a bush planted in his honour in the
Yangtze Incident Grove at the
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Surprising Story of the Only Cat Ever to Win the
Highest Honor for Animal Military Gallantry
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stopped at on its route home, Simon was honoured, and a special welcome was made for him at
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Sailing's
Strangest Moments: Extraordinary But True Tales from Over 900 Years of Sailing
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295:; as of 2020, Simon is the only cat to win the award. He was also awarded a
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313:) after disposing of a particularly vicious rat known as "Mao Tse-tung" (
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George
Hickinbottom, a member of the crew of the British frigate
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Simon's resting place at the PDSA Animal
Cemetery in Ilford
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after surviving injuries from an artillery shell, raising
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of pestilence and vermin, with unrelenting faithfulness.
251:. Halfway up the river the ship became embroiled in the
204:, and killing off a rat infestation during his service.
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Received several medals due to exemplary conduct in the
617:"Heroic Royal Navy ship's cat remembered in new book"
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714:Cats in the 20th Century (Cats in War-Simon) at
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641:
564:
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212:Simon was found wandering the dockyards of
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306:, and the fanciful rank of 'Able seacat' (
27:
559:
722:Able Seacat Simon Pages on MaritimeQuest
590:
339:
448:The following citation accompanied the
384:HIS BEHAVIOUR WAS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
96:Plot 281 of the PDSA's pet cemetery in
1175:
681:Simon's Dicken Medal recipient booklet
591:Govindan, Santhini (24 January 2004).
360:in east London. His gravestone reads:
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648:. Franz Steiner Verlag. p. 173.
521:
519:
81:
549:"Wartime hero cat Simon remembered"
171:(c. 1947 – 28 November 1949) was a
13:
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33:Simon in quarantine, November 1949
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1219:
666:
415:
408:
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244:to replace the duty ship there,
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382:THROUGHOUT THE YANGTSE INCIDENT
314:
307:
1203:Recipients of the Dickin Medal
609:
584:
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353:, attended his funeral at the
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685:The Friends of the Four Ships
509:
216:in March 1948 by 17-year-old
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7:
687:—Forum for veterans of HMS
492:
472:National Memorial Arboretum
439:Naval General Service Medal
271:
158:Naval General Service Medal
10:
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465:
16:Ship's cat on HMS Amethyst
999:
961:
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570:"Simon – Dickin Medal 54"
527:"Simon of HMS "Amethyst""
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763:Dickin Medal recipients
621:Staffordshire Newsletter
380:DIED 28TH NOVEMBER 1949.
374:MAY 1948 – NOVEMBER 1949
335:
112:, honorary 'Able Seacat'
499:List of individual cats
441:with Yangtze 1949 clasp
389:Decorations and honours
463:
358:Ilford Animal Cemetery
345:
188:. In 1949, during the
642:John Harding (2004).
605:on 27 September 2004.
454:
343:
236:was to travel up the
1208:Royal Navy personnel
485:dedicated his novel
481:In 1950, the writer
376:AWARDED DICKIN MEDAL
529:. Purr-n-fur.org.uk
23:
1188:1949 animal deaths
1183:1947 animal births
679:. www.pdsa.org.uk.
623:. 12 December 2014
555:. 1 November 2007.
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192:, he received the
175:who served on the
108:Ship's cat of HMS
21:
1170:
1169:
1157:William of Orange
913:Salty and Roselle
655:978-1-86105-745-7
452:campaign ribbon:
446:
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429:PDSA Dickin Medal
423:
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258:, when a Chinese
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1198:Military animals
1047:Duke of Normandy
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601:. Archived from
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434:Blue Cross Medal
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190:Yangtze Incident
140:Yangtze incident
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82:28 November 1949
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1112:NURP.43.CC.1418
1057:Flying Dutchman
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372:H.M.S. AMETHYST
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218:ordinary seaman
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87:Surrey, England
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1102:NPS.42.NS.7524
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304:campaign medal
289:Victoria Cross
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135:Known for
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674:"Simon DM 54"
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84:(aged 2)
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1132:Ruhr Express
1012:Beach Comber
808:Bing (Brian)
776:
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625:. Retrieved
620:
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603:the original
596:
593:"Cat of war"
586:
574:. Retrieved
543:
531:. Retrieved
486:
483:Paul Gallico
480:
469:
458:
455:
449:
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363:
350:
347:
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293:Dickin Medal
286:
275:
253:
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198:Dickin Medal
184:
180:sloop-of-war
168:
167:
153:Dickin Medal
109:
44:
18:
1193:Ship's cats
1137:Scotch Lass
1072:Kenley Lass
1052:Dutch Coast
1042:DD.43.T.139
1037:DD.43.Q.879
1022:Broad Arrow
843:Jet of Iada
576:11 December
378:AUGUST 1949
311:Able seaman
299:medal, the
282:John Kerans
68: 1947
46:Felis catus
1177:Categories
1127:Royal Blue
701:Black Swan
533:16 January
510:References
489:to Simon.
318:Mao Zedong
297:Blue Cross
177:Royal Navy
173:ship's cat
129:Royal Navy
105:Occupation
1092:Navy Blue
1007:All Alone
627:8 January
598:The Hindu
370:SERVED IN
366:MEMORY OF
263:field gun
214:Hong Kong
100:, England
72:Hong Kong
1122:Princess
1062:G.I. Joe
1032:Commando
976:Reckless
689:Amethyst
553:BBC News
493:See also
459:Amethyst
450:Amethyst
351:Amethyst
326:Plymouth
322:Amethyst
302:Amethyst
278:shrapnel
272:Recovery
256:Incident
254:Amethyst
234:Amethyst
224:Amethyst
185:Amethyst
117:Employer
110:Amethyst
1087:Mercury
1027:Cologne
1000:Pigeons
991:Warrior
986:Upstart
693:Consort
466:Honours
368:"SIMON"
291:", the
266:battery
248:Consort
242:Nanjing
40:Species
1162:Winkie
1077:Maquis
1067:Gustav
963:Horses
933:Sheila
833:Gander
828:Diesel
818:Buster
803:Beauty
798:Apollo
697:London
652:
572:. PDSA
487:Jennie
394:Medals
330:Surrey
208:Origin
202:morale
146:Awards
126:
1142:Tommy
1117:Paddy
1017:Billy
981:Regal
943:Thorn
928:Sasha
918:Sadie
893:Ricky
878:Peter
868:Lucky
863:Lucca
838:Hertz
793:Antis
777:Simon
677:(PDF)
336:Death
169:Simon
22:Simon
1147:Tyke
971:Olga
953:Treo
948:Tich
938:Theo
873:Mali
858:Kuno
853:Kuga
848:Judy
786:Dogs
770:Cats
699:and
650:ISBN
629:2015
578:2018
535:2019
355:PDSA
246:HMS
222:HMS
194:PDSA
183:HMS
78:Died
61:Born
56:Male
923:Sam
908:Rob
903:Rip
888:Rex
813:Bob
474:in
315:cf.
308:cf.
260:PLA
240:to
196:'s
53:Sex
1179::
695:,
691:,
619:.
595:.
561:^
551:.
518:^
478:.
364:IN
332:.
65:c.
755:e
748:t
741:v
658:.
631:.
580:.
537:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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