Post 15th June 2022
Another famous naval ship’s cat in the Second World War was 'Blackie'
‘Blackie’ was the ship’s cat on HMS Prince of Wales, which carried Winston Churchill across the Atlantic in August 1941. He was photographed stroking the cat. ‘Blackie’ survived the sinking of the Prince of Wales by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and was taken with the survivors to Singapore!
‘Convoy’ was the ship’s cat onboard HMS Hermione, the ship Captain G.N. Oliver commanded [later Mick Stoke’s senior officer in North Africa in 1943]. ‘Convoy’ was listed in the ship’s book and provided with a full kit, including a tiny hammock in which he slept [as did A.B.Spitfire]. Regrettably he was killed along with 87 of his crew mates when Hermione was torpedoed and sunk on 16 June 1942 by U-205. Captain Oliver survived and made a considerable name for himself during Operation Torch and Avalanche during which Mick Stoke was on his Staff.
Jeremy Stoke
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