Antarctic hero's grave now adorned with cat

Many people have heard of the ill-fated Shackleton expedition, which ended with a sucessful six man mad dash across open ocean to get help for the crew, left behind on a rocky outcrop.
One of the most tragic moments of the story involved the execution of the sled dog team, but many people are unaware that one cat also had to be shot. Mrs Chippy, a tom owned by the ship's carpenter and unofficial ship's mascot, has now finally been reunited with his owner in the form of a memorial statue on Harry McNeish's gravesite.
The statue is designed to be ever alert, but relaxed, as if the cat is "lying on McNeish's bunk".

Sadly, McNeish's love for his cat may have contributed to the carpenter's minor rebellion against Shackleton, the team leader, which lead to him being denied a Polar Medal, in spite of his work building and repairing boats and shelters to save the team. To the end, he never forgave Shackleton for shooting his beloved cat. Harry McNeish's grandson, Tom McNeish, comments, "I think the cat was more important to him than the Polar Medal."