British Forces

Able seacat Simon

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Able Seacat Simon was an orphan who grew up on the dockyards of Hong Kong before finding work aboard a British ship. There, he protected the crew and raised morale till his ship was attacked. The injured were evacuated, but Simon stayed onboard even though he was badly hurt. Upon recovering, he returned to his duties for which he received awards and the gratitude of Britain. It’s believed that Simon was born on Stonecutter’s Island (now part of Kowloon), sometime in 1947. That’s where Ordinary Seaman George Hickinbottom noticed him in March of the following year. Hickinbottom was a 17-year-old who had joined the Navy the previous year and felt sorry for the homeless orphan. Unfortunately, the sailor’s rank didn’t entitle him to private quarters, but to bunk right beside the captain’s cabin.Stationed aboard the British frigate HMS Amethyst, it was Hickinbottom’s job to make sure the ship was kept clean and that everything was in order. The sailor smuggled Simon aboard by hiding the poor waif in his shirt – for Simon was a cat. Fortunately, Lieutenant Commander Ian Griffiths liked cats. He also understood the value of keeping the ship’s rat population under control, but the Ordinary Seaman was not off the hook. Griffiths threatened to have the sailor up on charges if he saw any cat poo onboard. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/able-seacat-simon.html