Shellfire had torn through the ship, the captain was dead, and the cat was bleeding from four shrapnel wounds. A few weeks later, he was back on duty — hunting the rats threatening the crew’s food.
Simon was a black-and-white cat found wandering the docks of Hong Kong in 1948 and smuggled aboard HMS Amethyst by a young seaman. He quickly earned his keep as the ship’s rat-catcher and its morale officer, leaving “presents” in sailors’ bunks.
In April 1949, Amethyst came under fire on China’s Yangtze River in what became known as the Amethyst Incident. The shelling killed 25 men, including the captain. Simon was badly wounded and not expected to survive.
Back on Patrol
The ship was trapped on the river for months. Food was rationed — and rats were getting into it, a genuine threat to survival. Simon, stitched up and recovering, went back to work. He reportedly caught at least one rat a day, including a notorious ship’s legend nicknamed Mao Tse-tung, and his presence lifted the crew’s spirits through the ordeal.
Amethyst eventually made a daring night escape back to the sea.
A Medal of His Own
When the story reached home, Simon was awarded the Dickin Medal — the animals’ Victoria Cross. He remains the only cat ever to receive it. He was also promoted, in the way navies do, to “Able Sea Cat.”
Sadly, Simon died in quarantine shortly after arriving back in Britain in 1949, and hundreds, including the whole crew, attended his honors. He is buried in the PDSA animal cemetery in Ilford, London.
❓ Q&A
Q: What is the Dickin Medal? A: An award created in 1943 for animals displaying conspicuous gallantry in war. Dogs, pigeons and horses have received it — Simon is still the only cat.
Q: What was his official job? A: Ship’s cat: rat control and crew morale. The citation praised his courage and “faultless behaviour” under fire.
Story compiled from widely reported historical accounts of Simon and HMS Amethyst.
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