How a WWII Cat Survived 3 Ship Sinkings: The Story of Unsinkable Sam
You’ve heard the saying, “Cats have nine lives,” and while there are countless tales of cats falling from trees or high-above windows, one cat put this theory to the test, earning himself the name “Unsinkable Sam.” Sam’s original name was “Oscar,” and his legacy began aboard the Bismarck, one of the two first-class Nazi battleships in World War II. The Bismarck (with Sam) was launched on Feb. 14, 1939, and soon after engaged in battle with The Prince of Wales, an Allied battleship. The Nazi ship was severely damaged in this battle and ultimately sunk. Only 118 of the 2,200 crew members survived, plus Sam. The British destroyer HMS Cossack found Sam floating on a board hours later, and they promptly scooped him up and welcomed him aboard. Sam had officially switched sides to the Allied forces. Now on the right side of history, Sam lived with the British crew for the next few months as they performed convoy escort duties — until a torpedo struck the HMS Cossack in October 1941, killing all 139 members aboard. Except for Sam. Once again, Sam clung to a wooden plank and floated safely to the nearby shore of Gibraltar, a British
Overseas Territory. British service members who found him ashore put two and two together and realized the cat — the very one their fellow servicemen saved in 1939 — was the only survivor of HMS Cossack, earning him the nickname “Unsinkable Sam.” The group in Gibraltar was from the HMS Ark Royal crew, and of course, they loaded Sam aboard when it was time to launch. But as Sam’s luck would have it, a torpedo struck the HMS Ark Royal just a month later, leaving him once again clinging to a floating plank near a boat launch back in Gibraltar. Luckily, Sam’s boating days were over, and he was honorably transferred to the position of “mouse hunter” in the building of the governor-general in Gibraltar. Eventually, the British restationed their favorite floating feline to a “home for sailors” in Belfast, where he lived for the rest of his days until his peaceful passing in 1955.
Sam’s story may not officially prove cats have nine lives, but it makes at least three seem likely!
FROM SPIDERWEB DIPS TO SKELETON CHARCUTERIE The Haunting Delights of Our Halloween Potluck
One crafty and delicious food I remember was a spiderweb layered dip designed with a sour cream web and spiders. The dish was relatively easy to snack on, but I won’t forget the nightmarish charcuterie board I still see in my dreams from one year. The
If there’s one holiday we go all out for at Harman Law, it’s Halloween! Without realizing it, Halloween has become the one time of year when we deck out the whole office with ghostly decorations. We really go the extra mile when setting up a spooky atmosphere for October, and we’ve been doing it for almost four years now! I guess you can tell what our favorite holiday is! Along with the decor, I always look forward to our Halloween potluck, in which each team member brings their own ( oftentimes gruesomely themed ) snacks and cocktails. The potluck celebration is where I get to witness the true creativity of my employees and the creepiest creations that have me questioning if they are truly edible!
board was carefully orchestrated to resemble a skeleton, with the cured meats looking like muscles and tendons! Creative? Absolutely. Slightly terrifying? Yes, but still delicious! Of course, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I did make a rather impressive cocktail one year that was a hit. I made a smoky blackberry cocktail with tiny fake spiders lining the rim that produced eerie mist. It looked like some serious witch’s brew!
To celebrate the Halloween potluck, we usually close the office a bit early to get the festivities started. Meanwhile, I always let my team head out early after the party so they can get started on their personal Halloween fun. So, if you were wondering if the Harman Law team enjoys October and the Halloween season, I think the answer is clear. It’s our favorite time of the year!
–Michael Harman
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