Feline Forces on the Front Line
When the call to arms came, cats did not enlist, yet many found themselves on the front line, aboard ships, in barracks, ports and camps. Some became mascots, some shipmates, some unofficial sentries, and others simply kept watch while the world around them was at war.
This collection records feline service, survival and remembrance across land, sea and air. Meet cats caught up in campaigns from Sevastopol to Huế, discover wartime mascots and shipboard companions, and follow the stories behind medals, memorials and military tributes.
There are memorials to animals who served and suffered, galleries filled with wartime photographs, and the PDSA cemetery at Ilford, where Simon of HMS Amethyst is buried, the the only cat to be awarded the Dickin Medal, an award for animals that have shown exceptional bravery or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict or civil defence. He is laid to rest among eleven other medal recipients buried at the cemetery.
Stand to, then. Inspect the records, follow the trails and salute some remarkable cats who found themselves on active service, often in very unusual circumstances indeed.
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