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Before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Colonel Robert E Lee wrote: I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation. Yet on April 20, 1861, Lee resigned from the Union army. By the 23rd April he was commander of all state forces in Virginia, one of the secessionist states.

From as early as 7000 years before the common era, we have evidence suggesting cats served alongside humans on ships. This isn’t just in a civilian capacity. As long as there have been warships, cats have served on them around the world.

This is a tradition that has extended well into the modern era. At least 12 cats are known to have been present at the D-Day landings in June 1944. There were almost certainly more felines present in those critical early hours than dogs. Cats would continue to have an official presence on Royal Navy vessels until they were officially banned in 1975, and just how rigorously that ban has been enforced remains a question sometimes today.

Individual ship’s cats have sometimes been the subject of articles, videos and podcasts. What’s often not covered in detail though, is why cats were so important on ships, and how ships throughout the ages managed their presence.

So today, in this episode, we’re going to explore both the history and logistics of one of the most critical elements of naval history - the ship’s cat.

In this episode we cover the fascinating history of phrases and evolution of language in the English speaking world. From everyday sayings and their origins, to common terms lost to the passage of time, we explore some of our favourites and their sometimes surprising origins.