#Repost @history_of_worldwars • • • • • • ➡️ Cats in the war? 🐱 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Aboard the Australian HMAS Nizam, the ship's cats have a custom made cat hammock to themselves, June 1941. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Created in 1943 by the British animalist Maria Dickin, the "Dickin medal" was a decoration specially designed to honor the work and often, sacrifice, of animals in World War II. Few animals received it and, among them, only one cat has ever earned this prestigious prize: Simon, "for his heroism in the line of duty and the disposal of many ship rats despite injury in the ship HMS Amethyst". ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In this way, many felines were employed in the elimination of rodents, which were able to contaminate the food of the soldiers and even gnaw the internal wiring of the tanks. . [1] meowingstons.com 📸 Photographer: George Silk. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. #historyofworldwars #hmasnizam #cat #cats #mariadickin #dickinmedal #animalsofwar #catsofwar #hmsamethyst #rodents #decoration #animalsinwar #secondworldwar #royalnavy #simoncat #ww2 #ANZAC #ANZACDay https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Ym8n3HeSN/?igshid=bq1250n1ig72
