Jock (The War That Came Early)

Jock was a British private soldier from Yorkshire. During World War II (The War That Came Early)the war against Germany that broke out in 1938, he was one of several Yorkish soldiers who had joined Staff Sergeant Alistair Walsh's squad at about the same time.

In the late spring of 1939, Jock became melancholy after reading a story in the International Herald-Tribune about a victory against the Royal Navy won by the Admiral Scheer and U-30. He was particularly offended by the use of a submarine in the battle, which he considered unsporting. Walsh reassured Jock that he was confident the Royal Navy would regain supremacy on the waves. Jock expressed concern over how many seamen would be killed before that goal was achieved. Walsh sympathized somewhat, but was mindful of the fact that casualties in naval engagements tended to be far lower than they did in land campaigns, especially among the infantry.

Jock and Walsh were interrupted when a machine gun duel quickly escalated into a major bombardment. After the bombardment, Walsh discovered a stray cat and lured it into the foxhole the two men shared. Jock was not fond of cats but was impressed by the animal's agility and reflected on how such agility in humans would open up new forms of masturbation. Inspired by Jock's dirty mind (as well as his own), Walsh named the cat Pussy.