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17 July 2026
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Vintage: The Story of Just Nuisance
Just Nuisance was a Great Dane from Simon’s Town, and remains the only dog ever officially enlisted in the Royal Navy. His remarkable story began in the late 1930s when he became a familiar companion to sailors stationed at the naval base in Simon’s Town. Owned by Benjamin Chaney, Just Nuisance spent much of his time around the naval dockyard, where he developed a strong bond with the sailors. He frequently accompanied them on train journeys between Simon’s Town and Cape Town. His habit of travelling without a ticket soon brought him into conflict with railway authorities. Whenever railway officials removed him from a train, he would simply wait for the next one and climb aboard again.
To prevent the railway company from taking action against him, the sailors appealed to Vice-Admiral Charles Shakespeare, Commander-in-Chief of the South Atlantic Station. On 25 August 1939, Just Nuisance was officially enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman. His trade was humorously recorded as “Bone Crusher” and his religious denomination as “Scrounger.” He even signed his enlistment papers with a paw print. His official naval status entitled him to free rail travel, solving the ticket problem once and for all.
His first posting was to HMS Afrikander, the shore establishment at Simon’s Town. Popular with sailors and officers alike, he was later promoted to Able Seaman. He received naval rations, had a designated sleeping area, and was cared for by assigned personnel. When accompanying sailors into Cape Town, he often visited pubs, and was known for gathering sailors in time for the last train back to Simon’s Town.
Just Nuisance earned his famous nickname because he often slept across gangways, blocking the path of sailors boarding their ships. Exasperated sailors would remark that he was “just a nuisance,” a name that soon stuck.
Like many sailors, he accumulated a colourful service record. His conduct sheet recorded offences such as sleeping in prohibited areas, refusing to leave pubs at closing time, and periods of being absent without leave. He was also disciplined after killing the mascot dogs of HM Ships Shropshire and Redoubt, receiving a temporary “bone ban” as punishment.
Although he never served aboard a ship at sea, Just Nuisance participated in flights with the Fleet Air Arm from Wingfield Air Station and became one of the best known figures associated with the Royal Navy in South Africa during the Second World War.
During his naval career, he was ceremonially “married” to a female Great Dane named Adinda. They produced a litter of puppies, two of which, Victor and Wilhelmina, @@were auctioned by the Mayor of Cape Town to raise money for the war effort.
In 1944, following injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, Just Nuisance developed thrombosis. He was officially discharged from naval service on 1 January 1944. As his condition deteriorated, the difficult decision was made to put him to sleep on 1 April 1944, his seventh birthday.
His death was widely mourned. The news was circulated throughout the Royal Navy, and sailors at Simon’s Town openly grieved the loss of their beloved companion. On 2 April 1944, Just Nuisance was buried with full military honours at Klaver Camp overlooking the naval base. His body was wrapped in canvas and draped with the White Ensign. A Royal Marine firing party fired a salute over his grave while a bugler sounded the Last Post.
His grave remains a place of remembrance, and a bronze statue of Just Nuisance stands in Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town. The nearby Simon’s Town Museum preserves many of his belongings, including his collar, naval cap, official documents and photographs.
More than eighty years after his death, Just Nuisance remains one of the most famous mascots in military history and a lasting symbol of loyalty and service.
Read his story in his book: https://www.factandfiction.co.za/products/9780949989383?srsltid=AfmBOoq_bHieNCOlhtlY-P-32Jn0vabyeKrYalfbEuQe2ZjHEsqNLUQ4
Source: Origins 22 - Genealogy & History
To prevent the railway company from taking action against him, the sailors appealed to Vice-Admiral Charles Shakespeare, Commander-in-Chief of the South Atlantic Station. On 25 August 1939, Just Nuisance was officially enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman. His trade was humorously recorded as “Bone Crusher” and his religious denomination as “Scrounger.” He even signed his enlistment papers with a paw print. His official naval status entitled him to free rail travel, solving the ticket problem once and for all.
His first posting was to HMS Afrikander, the shore establishment at Simon’s Town. Popular with sailors and officers alike, he was later promoted to Able Seaman. He received naval rations, had a designated sleeping area, and was cared for by assigned personnel. When accompanying sailors into Cape Town, he often visited pubs, and was known for gathering sailors in time for the last train back to Simon’s Town.
Just Nuisance earned his famous nickname because he often slept across gangways, blocking the path of sailors boarding their ships. Exasperated sailors would remark that he was “just a nuisance,” a name that soon stuck.
Like many sailors, he accumulated a colourful service record. His conduct sheet recorded offences such as sleeping in prohibited areas, refusing to leave pubs at closing time, and periods of being absent without leave. He was also disciplined after killing the mascot dogs of HM Ships Shropshire and Redoubt, receiving a temporary “bone ban” as punishment.
Although he never served aboard a ship at sea, Just Nuisance participated in flights with the Fleet Air Arm from Wingfield Air Station and became one of the best known figures associated with the Royal Navy in South Africa during the Second World War.
During his naval career, he was ceremonially “married” to a female Great Dane named Adinda. They produced a litter of puppies, two of which, Victor and Wilhelmina, @@were auctioned by the Mayor of Cape Town to raise money for the war effort.
In 1944, following injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, Just Nuisance developed thrombosis. He was officially discharged from naval service on 1 January 1944. As his condition deteriorated, the difficult decision was made to put him to sleep on 1 April 1944, his seventh birthday.
His death was widely mourned. The news was circulated throughout the Royal Navy, and sailors at Simon’s Town openly grieved the loss of their beloved companion. On 2 April 1944, Just Nuisance was buried with full military honours at Klaver Camp overlooking the naval base. His body was wrapped in canvas and draped with the White Ensign. A Royal Marine firing party fired a salute over his grave while a bugler sounded the Last Post.
His grave remains a place of remembrance, and a bronze statue of Just Nuisance stands in Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town. The nearby Simon’s Town Museum preserves many of his belongings, including his collar, naval cap, official documents and photographs.
More than eighty years after his death, Just Nuisance remains one of the most famous mascots in military history and a lasting symbol of loyalty and service.
Read his story in his book: https://www.factandfiction.co.za/products/9780949989383?srsltid=AfmBOoq_bHieNCOlhtlY-P-32Jn0vabyeKrYalfbEuQe2ZjHEsqNLUQ4
Source: Origins 22 - Genealogy & History
