Human veterans and active duty military are honored around the world for their service. Did you know that there are at least five felines famous for serving their countries?
Right now there are three Chief Mousers in service to Queen Elizabeth, though Her Majesty may not know them. Larry the Cat has been in residence at the home of the prime minister at 10 Downing Street since 2011. Palmerston keeps watch at the Foreign Office just down the street and Gladstone was recently drafted into service at Her Majesty’s Treasury.
Palmerston keeps watch at the Foreign Office just down the street and Gladstone was recently drafted into service at Her Majesty’s Treasury.
Long before Larry, Palmerston and Gladstone came along there have been cats who served in the military.
Blackie was the Royal Navy ship cat for the HMS Prince of Wales. The feline’s fame spread when Prime Minister Winston Churchill knelt down to pet the feline goodbye as he left England for Newfoundland. (Photo Above) The cameras captured the adorable moment and the world went mad for Blackie. During the
The cameras captured the adorable moment and the world went mad for Blackie. During the trip Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter. Blackie was renamed Churchill in honor of the successful meeting.
In 1854 Sevastopol Tom, aka Crimean Tom, was not an official military cat. His service was quite accidental as he led troops through the British and French occupied town Sevastopol. The feline helped the famished troops find the food that had been hidden beneath the rubble by Russian defenders. The British soldiers were so grateful for Crimean Tom’s assistance that he was taken back to England and adopted as their mascot.
The feline helped the famished troops find the food that had been hidden beneath the rubble by Russian defenders. The British soldiers were so grateful for Crimean Tom’s assistance that he was taken back to England and adopted as their mascot.
The HMS Amethyst was where a brave cat named Simon called home. He traveled with the royal Navy during the Yangtze Incident in 1949 and as injured in the attack that killed 25 crew members, which included the warship’s commanding officer.
Simon did recover from the injuries received during the Yangtze Incident and his company helped boost morale for the sailors who had seen their fellow crewman die during the bombardment. Simon later died due to an infection and his obituary was published in The Times. Simon was buried with full naval honors and was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery.
Convoy the cat traveled with the sailors aboard the HMS Hermione. He was given that name because of the many times he accompanied the ship on convoy escort duties. The feline was registered in the ship’s log and given a full kit that included a small hammock in which he slept.
Ever the faithful cat, Convoy stayed with HMS Hermione until the bitter end. The ship was torpedoed and sunk in 1942. Simon died along with 87 of his crewmates.
Pfc. Hammer joined a United States Army unit in Iraq in 2004. He moved right in and began chasing away and killing mice that would eat and contaminate the unit’s food supply. The soldiers were extremely grateful for Hammer’s help that they made him an honorary member of their unit.
On Hammer’s behalf the soldiers’ in the unit applied for and received help from Alley Cat Allies and Military Mascots and Hammer came to the United States from Iraq following their deployment. Pfc. Hammer resides in Colorado with Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield.
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