Unsinkable Sam. The Cat Who Survived Three Ship Sinkings
Let me introduce you to ‘Unsinkable Sam’ 🐈⬛
🎖️ 1941’s employee of the year.
A ship’s cat who survived three wartime sinkings.
His job? Pest control.
Sam began life as Oskar…
🇩🇪 Serving on the German battleship Bismarck.
The ship went down with over 2,000 men lost.
He was found alive and well.
🇬🇧 The Royal Navy adopted him. He joined HMS Cossack. Five months later she was torpedoed.
The ship sank. The cat… didn’t.
Renamed Sam…
🇬🇧 Transferred to the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. And you can guess what happened next. Torpedo. Sinking.
Sam? Clinging to debris thinking “again?”.
🫵 At this point the Navy said… “Any vessel carrying this cat was statistically doomed.”
Retired from sea duty and packed off to Gibraltar. Then upgraded to a seamen’s home in Belfast.
Still doing pest control… Still the legend they called Unsinkable Sam.
The Maritime Origins Series
Maritime Origins is a storytelling series created by Jason Nangle, Founder of Angle Recruitment, a global maritime recruitment and executive search firm.
The series explores the fascinating history behind everyday phrases that originated at sea, as well as the remarkable stories, traditions and characters that have shaped maritime culture.
Many sayings still used today were first spoken by sailors navigating the challenges of life on board ships. Alongside these phrase origins, the series also highlights lesser-known maritime stories, legends and historical moments from the world of shipping.
Through short stories and visual posts, Maritime Origins connects the language, heritage and traditions of seafarers with the modern maritime industry.
New posts in the series launch every Tuesday on LinkedIn and are then shared across other platforms including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X. Follow
Jason Nangle on LinkedIn and Angle Recruitment across your preferred social platforms.
'Blowing smoke up your arse' was once life-saving medicine. 18th century doctors used tobacco smoke enemas to revive drowning victims. Now it just means flattery.
The maritime origins of "in the doldrums," a sailor's phrase from the age of sail used for the windless belt near the equator where ships could sit becalmed for weeks.
In a hammock in a wooden sailing ship. A woman’s leg sticks up from a nearby hammock, “From ‘Show a leg’… ‘Shake a leg’ stuck!”
