Simon the Cat: The Only Cat Ever to Win the Military's Highest Honor

Some cats become beloved family pets. Others become celebrity pets because of their unusual personalities, charming habits, or famous owners. Simon was different. He became famous for serving alongside sailors during one of the Royal Navy’s most dangerous missions: and for protecting his crew when they needed him most.

A stray cat from Hong Kong, Simon joined the crew of HMS Amethyst in 1948. A year later, he was caught in the middle of the Chinese Civil War, badly wounded by artillery fire, and left aboard a stranded ship with a dwindling food supply.

Despite his injuries, Simon returned to work. He hunted rats, comforted wounded sailors, lifted morale, and helped protect the crew’s essential supplies. For his courage, he received the PDSA Dickin Medal, often described as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

He remains the only cat ever to win the Dickin Medal.

From Hong Kong stray to ship’s cat

Simon was born around 1947 in Hong Kong. Like many dockyard cats, he lived around ships, sailors, and warehouses. He was a stray, but his life changed when a sailor found him in the dockyard and brought him aboard HMS Amethyst in 1948.

The crew quickly discovered that Simon was more than a friendly passenger. Ships could attract rats, and rats were a serious problem. They could damage equipment, spread disease, and destroy food stores: an especially dangerous threat on a vessel far from home.

Simon became an excellent rat catcher. He also became a companion to the sailors. Life at sea could be lonely and stressful, particularly for men serving far from their families. A cat wandering through the ship, settling beside a sailor, or curling up in a quiet corner could bring a little comfort to a difficult day.

In time, Simon became part of the crew.

The Yangtze Incident

In 1949, the Chinese Civil War was raging. HMS Amethyst was ordered up the Yangtze River to act as a guardship for the British Embassy at Nanjing.

On 20 April, the ship came under heavy fire from Communist artillery. The attack became known as the Yangtze Incident, or the Amethyst Incident.

The shelling was devastating. More than 50 direct hits struck the vessel. Lieutenant Commander Skinner, the ship’s captain, was killed. Many crew members were wounded, and the ship was badly damaged. Eventually, HMS Amethyst ran aground and became trapped in the river.

Simon was caught in the violence too.

Shrapnel tore into his legs, while burns injured his back and face. For a small cat, the wounds were severe. The ship’s crew feared that Simon might not survive.

But Simon did survive.

After receiving treatment, he slowly recovered. Then, despite the pain and danger around him, he returned to one of his most important duties: hunting rats.

Ten weeks trapped with a hungry enemy

HMS Amethyst and its crew remained stranded for almost 10 weeks. Conditions aboard the ship were hot, humid, and uncomfortable. Food supplies were limited, and the damaged vessel became an ideal place for rats to multiply.

The rats were not simply a nuisance. They threatened the crew’s critical food supplies. If the stores were destroyed, the sailors could face starvation before the ship was able to escape.

Simon began hunting again.

He reportedly killed at least one rat a day, and often more. His work helped keep the food stores safe, but it also gave the crew something positive to focus on during a frightening time. Each successful hunt was a small victory.

Then Simon faced his most famous target: a giant, ferocious rat the sailors had nicknamed “Mao Tse-tung.”

The rat had become a major threat, repeatedly attacking the ship’s meagre food supplies. It was large, aggressive, and difficult to catch. When Simon finally tracked it down and killed it, the crew celebrated.

They were so impressed that they gave Simon the honorary rank of Able Seaman. From then on, he was affectionately known as Able Seacat Simon.

It was a playful promotion, but it reflected something serious. Simon had done more than catch pests. He had helped protect the men around him.

A cat who cared for the crew

Simon’s role aboard HMS Amethyst was not limited to rat catching.

The sailors had endured artillery fire, injury, death, and weeks of uncertainty. Some were recovering in the ship’s sick bay. According to accounts of Simon’s service, he visited the injured men, sitting on their bunks and purring while he tended to his own wounds.

His injuries made him strangely relatable. Simon was hurt too, but he kept going. His quiet visits offered warmth and comfort to sailors who were frightened, exhausted, or grieving.

There is something especially moving about this part of Simon’s story. He did not understand the politics of the war or why the ship was trapped. He could not read a map or follow military orders. But he understood his people.

He stayed close to them. He kept working. He gave them a reason to smile.

That kind of companionship is one reason animals have always played such an important role in human history. Among the most amazing animal facts are the stories of animals who helped people through disasters, wars, and lonely stretches of life: not through grand speeches, but through loyalty and presence.

The awards of Able Seacat Simon

Simon’s service did not go unnoticed.

The crew awarded him the Amethyst campaign ribbon for distinguished and meritorious service. The wording praised his determination and his role in destroying Mao Tse-tung, as well as his efforts to rid HMS Amethyst of vermin while supplies were critically short.

He also received a Blue Cross medal.

Most importantly, Simon was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1949. The medal was established by Maria Dickin to recognise animals who showed exceptional bravery or devotion to duty during wartime. It is widely known as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

The official citation for Simon reads:

“Served on HMS Amethyst during the Yangtse Incident, disposing of many rats though wounded by shell blast. Throughout the incident his behaviour was of the highest order…”

Simon’s award made history. Dogs, pigeons, and horses have also received the Dickin Medal, but Simon is the only cat ever to receive it.

A hero’s welcome in Plymouth

After weeks of danger, HMS Amethyst finally escaped and made its way home.

On 1 November 1949, the ship returned to Plymouth. Simon received a hero’s welcome alongside the sailors he had served with. News of the brave little cat spread around the world. Letters and gifts arrived, and newspapers told the story of the ship’s cat who had continued hunting rats after being badly wounded.

For a short time, Simon was one of the most famous animals in the world.

Sadly, his story had a heartbreaking final chapter.

Because animals arriving in the United Kingdom were required to spend time in quarantine, Simon was taken to a quarantine facility shortly after returning home. He died there on 28 November 1949, from a viral infection. He was only about two years old.

The crew was devastated. Simon had survived artillery fire, serious injuries, and 10 weeks stranded on the Yangtze, only to die after reaching safety.

He was posthumously awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, and his medal was due to be presented in December.

Simon’s final resting place

Simon was buried with full naval honours at the PDSA Animal Cemetery in Ilford, Essex. His grave is in Plot 281.

His gravestone carries words that echo his Dickin Medal citation:

“Throughout the Yangtse Incident his behaviour was of the highest order.”

The grave is a quiet reminder that courage does not always come in a large package. Simon was small, unarmed, and unable to understand the danger surrounding him. Yet he continued to serve his crew in the only ways he knew how.

He hunted. He stayed close. He comforted wounded sailors. He protected their food.

Why Simon’s story still matters

Simon belongs among the most memorable famous animals in history. His story is remarkable not only because he won a major military honour, but because his bravery was woven into ordinary acts of loyalty.

He did not charge across a battlefield or carry a message through enemy lines. Instead, he helped keep a group of stranded sailors alive. He protected their supplies and gave them companionship when fear and uncertainty filled the ship.

That is why Simon remains so special to animal lovers. His story shows how much animals can contribute, even when they are not trained for heroism or expected to perform extraordinary acts.

Sometimes a hero is a stray cat who wanders aboard a ship in Hong Kong.

Sometimes he is a wounded cat who gets back on his paws.

And sometimes, when the food supply is at risk and the crew needs hope, he is the little sailor who takes on a giant rat named Mao Tse-tung.

Simon was the only cat ever awarded the Dickin Medal. But to the men of HMS Amethyst, he was more than a medal winner.

He was their shipmate, their comfort, and their true saviour.