Simon, the Only Cat to Win the Dickin Medal
Silent Hero From HMS Amethyst
Fans of the silver screen may remember the 1956 film based on a book by Lawrence Earl called 'The Yangtse Incident’. Although not listed in the credits, a four-legged bit-part-actor played the role of 'Simon', HMS Amethyst's rat catcher extraordinaire!
HMS Amethyst
Built by Glasgow shipbuilder’s A. Stephen & Sons, HMS Amethyst was launched on 7th May 1943 and commissioned into the Navy six months later on 2nd November 1943.
Capable of a speed of 19 knots, the Amethyst was a Black Swan Class sloop; after the war she underwent a complete re-fit and she became His Majesty’s Frigate F116 Amethyst and was despatched to join the South China Sea Squadron.
Simon Joins the Crew
During May 1948 the Amethyst docked at Stonecutters Island, Hong Kong in order to take on supplies. Ordinary Seaman George Hickinbottom found a hungry, stray cat wandering around the dockyard which he smuggled aboard.
Simon, as the cat had been christened, quickly became a firm favourite amongst the ship's crew, though he developed a love/hate relationship with Peggy, a four-year-old terrier who also lived aboard the ship.
By 1949 the civil war between Mao Tse-tung’s Chinese Communists and Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists drew to a close. The Amethyst had been ordered to replace the destroyer, HMS Consort, which had been standing as guard ship ready to evacuate the staff of the British Embassy in Nanking, China.
On 20th April, while steaming up the Yangtze River, Amethyst came under attack from communist shore batteries positioned on the North Shore of the river, opposite Low Island. In spite of the bombardment she continued up river but again came under fire, this time from Xou An Reach and Rose Island. Unfortunately for the Amethyst the firing was more accurate and the ship took several direct hits.
Captain Bernard Skinner was severely wounded during the attack. In spite of his injuries he managed to give the order for the crew to return fire, but unfortunately died the following day.
Simon was oblivious to the skirmish, curled up in his favourite place, the Captain’s bunk, when a shell exploded close to where he lay. The force of the explosion catapulted him into the air leaving him unconscious and severely injured. His whiskers and eye brows had been burnt off, his fur singed and his back and hind legs gashed by shards of metal.
Having run aground on Rose Island, the Amethyst was a 'sitting duck' and was hit over fifty times. Stuck fast, it wasn't long before living conditions began to deteriorate and to top it all hordes of rats were starting to raid the dwindling food supplies.
Simon, Rat Catcher and Morale Booster
Recovering well, Simon set about killing the hordes of marauding rats and his first 'kill' was a great boost to ship's morale.
Whilst diplomatic negotiations continued around them, Simon’s devotion to duty was an inspiration to the stranded sailors; the conscientious moggy averaged at least one kill per day.
By the beginning of July the crew were on half rations. The Peoples Liberation Army withheld vital supplies, including food and oil. They were attempting to hold the ship and crew to ransom, insisting the British Government sign a statement to substantiate their claim that the Amethyst had wrongly invaded Chinese National waters and that the ship had fired first, which was untrue on both counts.
Unexpectedly, the embargo was lifted on 11th July and the Amethyst took delivery of 54 tons of oil, but was still prevented from leaving. Lieutenant-Commander Kerans, the new ship's Captain issued some rather bizarre orders. He requested that the anchor chain be well greased and padded with blankets, and that certain parts of the ship be covered with black sheets, in order, he said, to make a more effective black-out at night.
On July 30th the crew were informed of the Captain's plan: they were to attempt to escape from under the noses of the Chinese! Just after 22.00 the crew had an unexpected stroke of luck when a merchant vessel, the Kiang Ling Liberation passed by. With the anchor chain muffled and her silhouette disguised with black sheeting, the Amethyst slipped astern of the ship, and it was a full fifteen minutes before the Communist Chinese noticed that she was gone.
Suddenly the sky lit up with flares as the Chinese searched for her but it was as if the ship had taken on a charmed life; in spite of heavy fire she escaped without further damage.
On 1 August a special presentation took place on the deck of the ship when Simon was awarded the Amethyst campaign ribbon.
The Dickin Medal
In 1943 Maria Dickin instituted the PDSA Dickin Medal. Instantly the award captured the imagination of the public, who dubbed it ‘the animals’ VC’.
Lt.Cdr Kerans contacted the PDSA to recommend Simon for the award which was confirmed on August 8th 1949. The Amethyst arrived in Plymouth Harbour to a tumultuous welcome in October. While the crew went to join their families, Simon was whisked into quarantine. Peggy had remained in Hong King when the Amethyst put in for repairs.
The medal presentation was set for 11 December 1949 in the presence of Maria Dickin and the Lord Mayor of London. Unfortunately, Simon fell ill and in spite of receiving the best veterinary care he died on 28th November 1949.
Simon was thought to be just four years old when he died; he was laid to rest in plot 281 of the PDSA’s animal cemetery in Ilford Essex. After a short ceremony conducted by the rector of St. Augustine’s church, Father Henry Ross, he was buried with full Navel honours, his tiny casket draped in the Union flag.
The Dickin Medal was posthumously awarded to Simon and accepted by Lt Cdr and Mrs Kerans in the presence of officers and crew of the Amethyst.
Yangtse River
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