Cats in the Military

[doyler]

 

 

https://www.latimes.com/visuals/photography/la-me-fw-archives-world-war-ii-cat-veteran-turns-15-story.html

[Salvage Sailor]

Doyler,

 

Thanks for posting this terrific write up on Princess Papule, Veteran of Pacific battles & born on the 4th of July 1944 at the 'No Kai Oi' Shipyard at Pearl Harbor.  I'm posting the 1959 article for posterity.

 

This photo accompanied a profile of Pooli (Princess Papule) in the July 4, 1959, Los Angeles Times:

 

A World War II veteran cat today celebrates her 15th birthday.

And she can still get into her old uniform with its three service ribbons and four battle stars.

 

 

The cat, Pooli, short for Princess Papule, was born July 4, 1944, in the Navy yard at Pearl Harbor, her present owner, Benjamin H. Kirk, said.

Kirk explained that Pooli was taken aboard the attack transport USS Fremont that day by his nephew, James I. Lynch, now a specialist in administrative services for the Board of Education.

 

Pooli saw action at the Marianas, the Palau group, the Philippines and Iwo Jima. And she became a shellback when the ship crossed the equator.

Kirk revealed that when battle stations rang, Pooli would head for the mail room and curl up in a mail sack.

 

And she nearly became a wartime casualty when some sailors aboard the homebound ship thought of throwing her overboard after fearing quarantine in San Francisco because of her. A round-the-clock guard was given Pooli for three days and she docked with the ship without incident, Kirk said.

Now, Pooli is deaf. She has only her front teeth, and she sleeps most of the day.

 

“But when she was younger, she never lost a battle with any dog or cat in the neighborhood,” Kirk said.

 

[aerialbridge]

Happy 77th Birthday to "Born on the 4th of July"  CPO Princess "Pooli" Papule!    Hope all of her nine lives were happy.       Here's a Span Am photo of a ship's cat on USS Olympia.

 

 

[manayunkman]

Great find Ron!

 

I love her name, my last kitty was named Ricky Bobby because he tore tail everywhere he went.

 

 

[aerialbridge]

2 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Great find Ron!

 

I love her name, my last kitty was named Ricky Bobby because he tore tail everywhere he went.

 

 

 

Whaddaya mean last kitty?  That seems to say you don't have one now.  Get yourself one.  Life's too short not to always have a cat and/or dog around the homestead.

[manayunkman]

3 hours ago, aerialbridge said:

 

Whaddaya mean last kitty?  That seems to say you don't have one now.  Get yourself one.  Life's too short not to always have a cat and/or dog around the homestead.

Amen to that, got Farley the wolfhound, old, kind and gentle.

 

Currently he has his head in the closet because of all the fireworks.

 

 

[aerialbridge]

Farley sounds great.   Saw a guy with a pet wolf up at South Lake Tahoe when we went up for a week the first week in June.  Almost 2230 and about 10 miles from Knotts and Disneyland and hundreds of smaller pyrotechnicians all over.  From the high ground its amazing to see and hear them going off everywhere.   Making up for the Wuflu lockdown.  Nice to see 4th of July back.  Cat is in her bunker but dogs are in the backyard barking at the thousands of booms going off everywhere. 

[Stony]

Betio, Tarawa. 

[Brian Keith]

I've always been a cat person. A couple of personal military related cat stories. Basic Training, 1987, Ft. Benning GA., not a lot of joy usually. One evening coming back in from a range late in the evening, I saw a cat jump from a dumpster to the ground and run off into the brush. While it may seem like a non-event to most, I really enjoyed seeing the cat. It has been a lot of years since I saw that cat for a few seconds, but in my minds eye, I can see him, and relive the happiness. Fast Forward, Afghanistan, 2012, at a small FOB in Khost I stayed overnight, I see a very fast cat scurry across the top of the HESCO & barbed wire wall and down and he was GONE! Soldiers, particularity Infantry, take their Joy when they can, that was a moment of joy. It was also the ONLY cat I saw that year in Afghanistan.

BKW

[VMI88]

When I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 I was able to travel to the Panjshir Valley.  I ran across this shopkeeper and his cat in one of the small villages there.  I asked (through an interpreter) what his cat's name was.  He just laughed and replied "Peschak!"  The interpreter explained that peschak is just the Dari word for cat.  He looks like he could keep the mice down though.

[aerialbridge]

Semper Paratus Catus.   

 

Coastie Cat and Kittens on a US Coast Guard search and rescue mission,  San Diego, June 1945.  Chief Orville Willard Dybedal along with USCG San Diego Station Mascot, 
Salty and her kittens, peering out the bubble window on a CAT-alina PBY.   

 

 

[aerialbridge]

On 7/6/2021 at 3:07 PM, VMI88 said:

When I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 I was able to travel to the Panjshir Valley.  I ran across this shopkeeper and his cat in one of the small villages there.  I asked (through an interpreter) what his cat's name was.  He just laughed and replied "Peschak!"  The interpreter explained that peschak is just the Dari word for cat.  He looks like he could keep the mice down though.

 

 

Great picture!  Not sure if that Afghan cat is smiling, yawning or roaring but I wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

[TheCrustyBosun]

1 hour ago, aerialbridge said:

Semper Paratus Catus.   

 

Coastie Cat and Kittens on a US Coast Guard search and rescue mission,  San Diego, June 1945.  Chief Orville Willard Dybedal along with USCG San Diego Station Mascot, 
Salty and her kittens, peering out the bubble window on a CAT-alina PBY.   

 

 

Nice post!  Also evidence of a USCG “crusher” cap. Looking good, Chief!

[RANDALL 1953]

It was not limited to the allies in WW2. I have seen many photos of German soldiers with cats as well.

[doyler]

May 27th, 1941, after the sinking of the German battleship Bismark, a small black and white cat was found floating among the wreckage. The cat was discovered by the British sailors on the HMS Cossak. Obviously not knowing the cat’s original name, the crew named him Oscar.

Oscar would continue his service as a British sailor on the Cossak until that ship was eventually sunk later on that year. October 24th, 1941, the HMS Cossak was destroyed by a German u-boat, killing 159 of the crew, and ripping apart the front end of the ship. Once again Oscar survived and was transferred to the HMS Ark Royal.

Now receiving the name Unsinkable Sam, Oscar’s bad luck didn’t end there. Less than a month later on November 14th, 1941, the Ark Royal was also sunk from a torpedo strike. Ark Royal sank 30 miles from Gibraltar, and the only survivors were one sailor and Unsinkable Sam.

Unsinkable Sam would be transferred between two more ships, the HMS Lighting, and the HMS Legion. Yes both of those ships also sank, but Sam was not on board when they did.

Sam eventually would reside at the seaman’s home in Belfast where he lived out the rest of his days. He lived until 1955.

 

 

[aerialbridge]

Thanks, I needed that sea cat story, Doyler!   You'd think they would have transferred Oscar to shore duty after his second ship went down.   He definitely had nine lives, but not so sure about how much good fortune Unsinkable Sam brought to the ships he was on.  But lady luck was definitely there for Number One.

[doyler]

The Black Cat Mascot / Pet for VP-12, the USN “Black Cat” Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina Squadron at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal - Late 1942 / Early 1943

LIFE Magazine Archives - Scherschel Photographer

 

 

[Persian Gulf Command]

My Dad c. 1939!

 

 

[iron bender]

On the border/ maybe in Mexico? 1915-1916? Regardless GI’s with their very safe loyal pet. My buddy Toby gave me this pic years back. Lives in my garage 

[Garandomatic]

On 3/26/2013 at 7:12 PM, fstop61 said:

The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad had a great ad campaign during WWTwo utilizing their long-time Chessie the Cat logo. They sent Peake to join the war effort. Note the Transportation Corps badge on his overseas cap.

Peake was stackin' bodies overseas. Highly decorated and brought back plenty of war trophies.

[Bluehawk]

Wizzo is a Weapons Systems officer in the 95th Mission Support Group's supply warehouse at Edwards AFB, credited with sufficient kills to qualify as an Ace. His shift is from 1600 hrs until he delivers the nightly scores at the feet of the first airman entering the warehouse each morning.

[Garandomatic]

On 8/9/2022 at 8:47 PM, doyler said:

May 27th, 1941, after the sinking of the German battleship Bismark, a small black and white cat was found floating among the wreckage. The cat was discovered by the British sailors on the HMS Cossak. Obviously not knowing the cat’s original name, the crew named him Oscar.

Oscar would continue his service as a British sailor on the Cossak until that ship was eventually sunk later on that year. October 24th, 1941, the HMS Cossak was destroyed by a German u-boat, killing 159 of the crew, and ripping apart the front end of the ship. Once again Oscar survived and was transferred to the HMS Ark Royal.

Now receiving the name Unsinkable Sam, Oscar’s bad luck didn’t end there. Less than a month later on November 14th, 1941, the Ark Royal was also sunk from a torpedo strike. Ark Royal sank 30 miles from Gibraltar, and the only survivors were one sailor and Unsinkable Sam.

Unsinkable Sam would be transferred between two more ships, the HMS Lighting, and the HMS Legion. Yes both of those ships also sank, but Sam was not on board when they did.

Sam eventually would reside at the seaman’s home in Belfast where he lived out the rest of his days. He lived until 1955.

 

 

Sam's got a good story, but I am certain that picture is of Ableseacat Simon, only feline recipient of the Dickin Medal. Simon is often used to illustrate Sam, but being that he was so highly decorated, he was well documented. That black blob on his nose is the key. Simon fended off a rat infestation when the HMS Amethyst was hit by Communist fire, despite his own nearly fatal wounds.  He hunted commie mice, raised the men's morale, and became a celebrity. He and the Amethyst managed to head back to England, but died in quarantine, possibly from a virus contracted there or a viral infection of his wounds.  The entire crew attended his funeral.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(cat)

 

His tombstone reads:

IN
MEMORY OF
"SIMON"
SERVED IN
H.M.S. AMETHYST
MAY 1948 – NOVEMBER 1949
AWARDED DICKIN MEDAL
AUGUST 1949
DIED 28TH NOVEMBER 1949.
THROUGHOUT THE YANGTSE INCIDENT
HIS BEHAVIOUR WAS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

[Salvage Sailor]

US First Infantry Regiment, Leilehua, T.H. 1914

[Salvage Sailor]

Cavalry Cat - Tabby Trooper

F Troop, US 4th Cavalry Regiment, Schofield Barracks, T.H. 

[T BIRD]

On 7/4/2021 at 7:53 PM, aerialbridge said:

 

Whaddaya mean last kitty?  That seems to say you don't have one now.  Get yourself one.  Life's too short not to always have a cat and/or dog around the homestead.

TOO TRUE; I HAVE 5    DOGS ARE GREAT;   BUT CATS RULE IN MY HOME. ALL GIRLS,  "CATHOUSE"  LOL.  BEST  T BIRD