Posted on 12/31/2014 10:42:14 AM PST by marthemaria
A British soldier “shakes hands” with a kitten on a snowy bank, Neulette, 1917.
In the Christmas truce film Joyeux Noël, a cat runs back and forth between the enemy trenches to soldiers that feed it. One names the cat Felix and the other Nestor, and when the two meet in No Man’s Land during thet ruce, a sweet argument ensues between the two men over whose cat it is and what is, in fact, its name. The director of the film, Carion, drew on a real life story of a cat who did this during the truce and was ultimately shot for treason: “Towards the end of the film Major General Audebert says ‘I’ve been ordered to arrest a cat for treason.’ A cat portrayed in the film as Felix/Nestor, was actually arrested and shot for espionage after it arrived in French lines wearing a new collar and bearing a note (in French) which read ‘which regiment are you from?’. The general in charge decided just to follow the letter of the law, the cat was shot for spying.” (Source. Carion also talks about this in the making of of Joyeux Noël.) The real-life story was so ridiculous and upsetting, Carion decided not to include its ending in the film but only mention it in passing, because he thought the viewers of the film would not believe the absurdity of a cat being shot for treason.
It’s going to be a soldiers with kittens kind of day, I guess.
Early “no tolerance” policy.
The French general was an idiot!
To think someone like that was entrusted with the lives of thousands of men is disheartening.
But it occurred to me that many idiots in America shot their dachshunds with the US entry into WWI and other idiots smashed their Japanese-made dishes after Pearl Harbor. Neither act harmed the enemy one bit.And killing a loyal pet to show solidarity with the war effort is just sick and cruel.I wouldn’t want tthat person anywhere near me or my unit.
This was a wasted opportunity. A cat makes an exceptional double agent.
Ya, but one can of tuna can turn kitty into a tripple agent. ;~))
This made Ceiling Cat Cry.
Very sad kitteh ping
Not a cat person, but it seems a bit harsh.
Wow. My brother is blogging about WWI too. I just sent this to him.
Had it been a dog, it would have told everything it knew just for a bone..........
A cat’s only allegiance is to itself.
...and their deaths.
Bump
Too many unanswered questions here.
Who was the brave soul that tied the cat to the post?
(let me check his arms out..should be shredded skin)
Was Cat offered a cigarette?
Was Cat offered blind fold?
While attempting to subdue Cat, did he tell people to go Fffffffft themselves, with a grand showing of nails?
If the General ordered the execution by Firing Squad the proper procedures must have had to have been followed.
Indeed.
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