COOL CATS I ADMIRE: OSCAR “UNSINKABLE SAM”

On May 27th, 1941, the German battleship Bismark sank after a long and intense battle with the British royal navy. Floating among the wreckage was a small black and white cat. British sailors aboard the HMS Cossak discovered him and quickly retrieved him from the water. Not know the cat's original name, the crew named him oscar. Oscar served with the British sailors on the Cossak until, on October 24th, 1941, the HMS Cossak was sunk by a german destroyer, killing 159 men on board. Once again, Oscar evaded death and was transferred to the HMS Ark Royal. 

Aboard the HMS Ark Royal, Oscar received the name Unsinkable Sam. On board the Ark Royal for one month, the ship was struck by a torpedo and went down on November 14th, 1941. Unsinkable Sam was transferred between two more ships throughout his life, the HMS Lightning and the HMS Legion-- both of those ships inevitably sank and Sam had been spared. He eventually resided at the seaman's home in Belfast where he lived out the rest of his days until 1955.