Two Perfectly Marvellous Cats : A True Story [Paperback]

Rosamond McPherson Young (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997

The Dickin Medal, created by Maria Dickin of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals in London, was awarded to animals displaying conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty associated with the armed forces during WWII. The medal was awarded to 18 dogs, 3 horses, 31 pigeons, and 1 cat. That one cat was Simon, ship's cat of the British frigate, Amethyst.

In 1940, another special silver medal, also from Maria Dickin's organization, was awarded to Faith, a church cat, who demonstrated her courage in protecting her kitten during the Blitz.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A charming tale of two British feline war heroes, and of the many people whose lives they touched. Young's (Cat, Thy Name is Edith, not reviewed) first story concerns a homeless cat who was taken in by an animal-loving priest at St. Augustine and St. Faith Church in mid1930s London. From her first day of residence, the grateful little gray-and-white waif, named Faith, attended services regularly, sitting at the feet of Father Henry Ross, a firm believer that cats, too, ``can have religion.'' Over the years Faith endeared herself to the church's many parishioners. In 1940, shortly after Faith gave birth, the church was bombed and badly damaged. Father Ross found Faith in the church's rubble-filled basement, huddled protectively over a kitten. For her bravery, Faith was awarded a special civilian version of the Dickin Medal, an honor usually bestowed on animals showing unusual bravery while serving England's armed forces. Also awarded such a medal was Simon, a cat who lived with the captain of the British warship Amethyst. When the ship was attacked in 1949 while sailing the Yangtze River in China, the captain was killed and Simon was badly injured. The ship was grounded for months, but the still-limping Simon helped save the much-needed food supplies by returning to his mousing duties with a vengeance--this despite the almost unbearable heat below deck. He also kept up the morale of the soldiers and regularly visited the wounded in sick bay. Months later, when the ship returned to safe harbor, Simon's heroism was widely acknowledged, but, sadly, he died before the Dickin medal could be bestowed. Two perfectly lovely stories, padded a bit to fill up a slim, but nonetheless sweet, volume. (photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A charming tale of two British feline war heroes, and of the many people whose lives they touched... Two perfectly lovely stories. -- Kirkus Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: J N Townsend Pub (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880158167
• ISBN-13: 978-1880158166
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,920,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very heartwarming story...for all animal lovers, March 28, 2000

By 

gl (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Perfectly Marvellous Cats : A True Story (Paperback)

An absolutely "marvellous" story about two very special cats. I was very impressed to learn about Maria Dickin who was born in 1870 and founded the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals in London in 1917. She solicited volunteer services and devised many ways of raising money in order to help stray animals and animals owned by the poor who could not afford veterinary treatment. During World War II, many animals also served their country and several received a "Dickin" medal, including Faith and Simon, the two very wonderful, brave cats in this book. Animals do have a 'sixth sense'. Enjoy!