Pussy was a French cat who was abandoned when her previous owners were forced to flee their homes during the German invasion of 1938-9. Pussy attempted to hunt for food but had difficulty keeping herself fed, partially due to a bell on her collar. Alistair Walsh discovered Pussy and took pity on her. He fed Pussy a tin of beef and eventually adopted the cat. Walsh carried Pussy with him all the way to Norway in an improvised cat carrier made from a hat box. She won the affection of every British soldier she encountered causing smiles on the faces of even the most hard-bitten veterans.