Simon was a ship's cat which served on the Royal Navy ship HMS Amethyst shortly after World War Two.

In 1949, during the infamous Yangtze Incident, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amethyst_Incident" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amethyst_Incident</a>

and after surviving serious injuries from sustained gunfire his continued presence raised crew morale and he also killed off a rat infestation during the period of more than three months the ship was unable to move.  

After returning to the United Kingdom Simon was famous and was given the informal rank of "Able Seacat" which was based on the British Royal Naval rank of Able Seaman. Unfortunately Simon died from complications of his injuries on 28 November 1949.

He was awarded the PDSA's Dickin Medal - which is regarded as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross - Britain's highest military honour. Simon was buried in an animal cemetery in North-east London and the entire ship's company attended the service.

Recently the cemetery (which had become neglected and overgrown) has been refurbished and can be visited at the rear of the PDSA's Ilford premises. There are more Dickin Medal animals in this cemetery than anywhere else.