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Ships Cats

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Mani (U1821129) on Wednesday, 19th December 2007

  Dear all, Not being a Navy man, I'm not too sure of this, but when did the Navy stop having Ships Cats?
  
  My Gradfather's ship's cat was named Frank -
  And recently I again read about Simon, the ships cat awarded the Dicken medal, but it made me think that you don't hear of them anymore. If not, is it the HSE at work again?
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Pugwash Trouserpress (U1865008) on Wednesday, 19th December 2007

  A wide variety of animals were kept as mascots over the years including a bear.
  
  HMS Excellent, the Gunnery School on Whale Island in Pompey had a zoo for many years.
  
  IIRC the practice was stopped in the 1960's/early 70's because of the threat of rabies.
  
  Having said that, up until very recently HMS Richmond (I think. It was definitely a Type 23)
  had an extremely foul mouthed parrot which had to be hidden during ViP visits.
  
  Peebs

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Backtothedarkplace (U2955180) on Wednesday, 19th December 2007

  Hi Mani
  
  Not exactly sure but possibly died out in Europe about the time quarantine was brought in?
  
  I know that they carried on into the 1960's in the far east. Possibly more rats in Hong Kong?
  
  There werent just cats though. if you ever fall in with a bunch of matleots, ask the oldest one about the tale of the Darlings monkey.
  
  In fact sod it, I'll tell you it.
  
  back during the late unpleasantness in Borneo, HMS Darling was hanging around providing gunfire support. One of the ships officers decided it would be wonderful to buy a monkey as the ships mascot. So, the Wardroom gets blessed with either yet another none too bright hairy knuckle dragger. Or one of the most intelligent officers in the fleet. Well, things go ok while the monkey is a baby, but as babies have a tendancy to it grew up and develops nasty habits, wonder who it learnt them from? Any way to cut a long story short after it ran up the Pardres arm and attempted to hump his ear in the middle of a formal wardroom dinner. Its decided that the monkey obviously isnt wardroom material and is demoted to one of the seamans messes. Needless to say the monkeys habits are by now too rich even for the stokers and a near mutiny ensues. The skipper, in his majesty decides that the Monkeys staying but seeing as he cant tell the difference between it and a seaman its entitled to a rum and beer ration. So, things quieten down for a bit. The Darling then gets called back to the UK, The Skipper decides that that on its return the Monkey will be gifted to a Zoo the lads are getting the Monkeys tot and a few extra tinnies so everyone should be happy.
  
  Or not. What the skipper doesnt know is that everyone in the mess has taken a grave dislike to having this hairly little demon hurtling round the deck attempting to have sex with anything it can find and have decided on revenge.
  
  As the Darling comes into the Channel, a party atmosphere develops. The Monkeys tot which has been saved in a bottle for just such an occasion is given to it untill it is so drunk all it can do is sit in the middle of a mess table and grin. At this point a coil of cable is dropped round it. One end attached to its collar and the other to a large weight. The scuttle is opened and the large weight dropped out into the channel. The monkey sits there watching the rope wizzing round it until it all runs out and the poor little thing goes flying out of the porthole.
  
  Of course some say that it made it back to the UK and ended up as a Chief Petty Officer stoker on the Bulwark. But I'm not sure I belive that one.
  

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Rosamund (U10213224) on Wednesday, 19th December 2007

  My husband was a captain on oil tankers and bttdp's hilarious story reminded me of some of the "animals on board" tales he used to tell. In BP animals were banned in the early 1980s because of a rabies scare. Before that, all kinds of creatures roamed the ships: cats(some pregnant!), dogs, monkeys, parrots, even snakes!
  
  Most sailors are very superstitious about cats: we always had a black moggy at home. I remember one dreadful day back in 1988 - the cat had been acting very strangely all day - miaowing pitifully and refusing to eat. We got a phone call about tea-time that afternoon - Larak Terminal in the Gulf had been attacked and five tankers, including the one next to my husband's ship, had been hit. He was OK, but it had been a near thing. Probably just a coincidence about the cat's distress, but perhaps the animal had sensed something.

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  Posted by colins6789 (U5856311) on Thursday, 20th December 2007

  This is a true story of Oscar,the 'Uncle Albert' (from only fools and Horses)of the cat world. He was sunk three time in WW2. He started off as the ships cat on the German pocket Battleship Bismark. He was rescued, possibly from weckage by a British Destroyer, this was torpedoed and Oscar was transfered to the Aircraft Carried Ark Royal. This itself was sunk and Oscar ended up in Gibralter and was safely taked to a shore establishment in Northern Ireland.

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  Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Thursday, 20th December 2007

  One of the minesweepers is reputed to have had a bullock - a "volunteer" from one of the Scottish Islands - as a mascot. He lived on the un-bovine diet of bully beef, and thrived on it.
  
  The Divisional Chief of one of the divisions at BRNC had a black dog - a poodle, if memeory serves, in the late 60's, which was the Divisional Mascot, and had been awarded an Admiralty (rather than Royal) commission as a Lieutenant

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  Posted by MB (U177470) on Friday, 21st December 2007

  And there is submarine HMS Trident which carried a reindeer aboard for a month after it was given to them by a Russian admiral.
  
  MB

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• Message 8

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  Posted by Sambista (U4068266) on Friday, 21st December 2007

  There was also Olga the Reindeer, present at the Battle of the North Cape having been presented to HMS Belfast. The gunfire drove her mad & the ships butcher had to slaughter her.

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