Unsinkable Sam

The History Cache Podcast

During the chaos of World War 2, soldiers on both land and sea found companionship and comfort in the animals they had with them. From horses to goats, the animals serving alongside the soldiers of WW2 saw action on battlefields the world over.

Today we’re exploring the life of one particular animal who survived the sinking of three different battleships, including the infamous Bismarck. His name was Oscar, then Sam, then quite appropriately, Unsinkable Sam.

Unsinkable Sam was a black and white tabby cat who was allegedly rescued from a floating plank after the chase and historic sinking of Germany’s Bismarck. After surviving one of the most famous navel battles of all time, its said that Sam went on to survive the sinking of both the HMS Cossack and the HMS Ark Royale.

Join me as we uncover the legend of a cat who survived three different shipwrecks and still walked away with several of his nine lives to spare.