When you think of places you’d see cats, the image of a boat may not come to mind. House cats don’t tend to love the water, although then there are some really do love it. Yet cats are extremely adaptable and have long accompanied people on boats. A ship captain gifted Hemingway the first of the famous polydactyl Hemingway cats. And the Vikings may have carried the ancestors of Maine Coon cats across the seas. Actually, some cats make for excellent shipmates at sea. And, of course, they control rodents wherever they go. But cats also work wonders for morale wherever they are found. One kitty did just that for the crew of a World War II Battleship.
George the Cat and the Battleship North Carolina
In 1944, a resident kitty named George provided some comic relief for the crew aboard the Battleship North Carolina. Some 2,000 young men lived on the ship during World War II, and tensions were incredibly high.
While at port, crew member Ed Cope saved George from drowning off the coast of the Naval base in Noumea, New Caledonia. It was a major World War II Naval Base.
“I pulled George out of the bay at Noumea. The Ship’s photographer made up a liberty card for him. George lived with me in the Lighting Shop for over a year and went over the hill when we reached Seattle,” wrote Cope.
Tay and Edward Cope wedding day with George the cat via Battleship North Carolina. and the Naval Base Noumea in 1942 at Noumea, New Caledonia via Wikipedia.
George the Cat’s Funny Navy Health Record
The guys in the lighting shop wrote up a funny official U.S. Navy Health Record for George. They gave him the full Christian name of General Electric, his next of kin, “any old alley cat,” and proclaimed him a hairy, grey, cattish-looking Catholic. The tabby appears wearing his dog tags in the photo.
Images via Battleship North Carolina website
In the line to describe any evidence of mental defects, they wrote, “worries hell out of everyone.” To describe his neck area, they wrote, “Hollars like Hell!” And as for his mouth, nose, and throat, they put, “You should see them.”
A blank to describe his skin and glands has “Can’t see it-you worried?” As for George’s eyes, they were green and in “Peachy condition!”
After sketching a cat’s features on the human anatomy chart, they concluded that George “Doesn’t really look or act exactly Human.”
Remembering George the Cat
For National Cat Day, the USS North Carolina Battleship remembered George and his funny health record from 1944. Today, the ship is a museum and memorial in Wilmington.
In the comments, someone recognized the kitty very well:
“Aww, love this! These pieces were from my grandfather Ed Copes’s collection of memorabilia that we brought to the battleship a few years ago when we visited. He loved to tell us stories about George when we were little kids,” wrote Vicki Knopf.
Images via Facebook/USS North Carolina Battleship
Another person shared a picture of a similar military kitty.
“This is the cat from the USS Big Horn. Picture by my grandfather,” wrote Noelle Singleton.
These military cats and dogs had an important part to play, helping make life more bearable for veterans in far-away places.
More about George by the Southport Historical Society:
“USS North Carolina – Short Clip from Presentation by Kim Robinson Sincox” about life with George as written by Ed Cope.
Featured image: George via Facebook with Battleship North Carolina in December 1944 off the Philippines, via Wikipedia
