Irish recipients of the victoria cross during

the second world war

he had to chip away at barnacles on the bottom of the cruiser for 30 minutes before being able to attach the limpets. During this time his breathing aparatus was leaking and he returned to the submarine after completion of his task very exhausted. On withdrawing, Lieutenant Ian Fraser found that one of the limpet carriers which was being jettisoned would not release itself. Magennis immediately volunteered to free it commenting: " I'll be alright as soon as i've got my wind, sir. " This he did, after seven minutes of nerve-racking work with a heavy spanner. On completion Magennis returned to XE3 for the second time, allowing the four man midget submarine to make its escape out to open sea to meet the waiting Stygian. The award of the Victoria Cross to James was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on the 9th Novemeber 1945 ( dated 13th Novemebr 1945 ) and read:

ADMIRALTY Whitehall, 13th November 1945. The King has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS for valour to: -

Temporary Acting Leading Seaman James Joseph MAGENNIS, D/JX. 144907. Leading Seaman Magennis served as Diver in His Majesty's Midget Submarine XE-3 for her attack on the 31st July 1945, on a Japanese cruiser of the Atago class. Owing to the fact that XE-3 was tightly jammed under the target the divers hatch could not be fully opened, and Magennis had to squeeze himself through the narrow space available. He experienced great difficulty in placing his limpet mines on the bottom of the cruiser owing both to the foul state of the bottom and to the pronounced slope upon which the limpets would not hold. Before a limpet could be placed therefore Magennis had thoroughly to scrape the area clear of barnacles and in order to secure the limpets he had to tie them in pairs by a line passing under the cruiser keel. This was very tiring work for a diver, and he was moreover handicapped by a steady leakage of oxygen which was ascending in bubbles to the surface. A lesser man would have been content to place a few limpets and then return to the craft. Magennis however, persisted until he had placed his full outfit before returning to the craft in an exhausted condition. Shortly after withdrawing Lieutenant Fraser endeavoured to jettison his limpet carriers, but one of these would not release and fall clear of the craft. Despite his exhaustion, his oxygen leak and the fact that there was every probability of him being detected by the enemy, Magennis at once volunteered to leave the craft and free the carrier rather than allow a less experienced diver undertake the job. After seven minutes of nervr - racking work he succeeded in releasing the carrier. Magennis displayed very great courage and devotion to duty and complete disregard for his own safety.

Magennis was the only Victoria Cross winner of the Second World War to hail from Northern Ireland. As a result Magennis obtained something of a celebrity status in his home city although this would soon turn sour. The citizens of Belfast raised more than £3,000 as part of a ' Shilling Fund ' The City Fathers of Belfast refused to give James the ' Freedom of the City ' though. Sources differ as to the reasoning behind this; some claim it was due to religious divisions, others claim it was due to the City Fathers not " ...believing that such an honour could be bestowed on a working class Catholic from the inner-city slums. " In 1946 Mageenis married Edna Sidmore, with whom he had four sons. The money from the ' Shilling Fund ' was spend quickly by James and his wife: She remarked " We are simple people . . .forced into the limelight. We lived beyond our means because it seemed the right thing to do. " In 1949 he left the Navy and returned to Belfast, where at some point, he sold his Victoria Cross. In 1955 he moved to Yorkshire, where he worked as an electrician. For the last years of his life, he suffered from chronic ill health, before dying on the 11th February 1986 of lung cancer hours before his heroism was honoured by the Royal Navy Philatelic Office with a first-day cover.

Memorials

James Magennis has had several memorials erected in his honour. When he first won his VC, he was treated rather shabbily by the Unionist - dominated Belfsat City Council because hwwaa from a working class Catholic family. Refused the freedom of the city, the only official recognition of his bravery was a small photograph tucked away in the robing room of thhe council chamber. The first memorial wwaas only erected in 1999 after a long campaign by his biographer George Fleming. The memorial a bronze and stone sstatue was officially unveiled in Belfast on the 8th October 1999. The ceremony was conducted in the grounds of Belfast City Hall inn the presence of James's son Paul, by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Bob Stoker. James's former Commanding officer, Ian Fraser, was reported as saing: " Jim gave me bother from time to time. He liked his tot of rum, but he was a lovely man and a fine diver. I have never met a braver man. It was a privilege to know him and it's wonderful to see Belfast honour him. " A wall mural commemorating James Magennis on the 60th anniversary of VJ day was unveiled on thhe 16th September 2005 by Peter Robinson, the DUP MP representing East Belfast, including Tullycarnet. In 1986 at a memorial service in Bradford Cathedral, the Submarine Old Comrade Associaion ( West Riding Branch ) erected a memorial plaque on an inner wall within the Cathedral. The plaque made of Welsh slate was supplied by ex-submariner Tommy Topham MBE. Rear Admiral Place VC, CB, CVO, DSC unveiled the plaque. In attendance was Petty Officer Tommy ' Nat ' Gould, another submariner Victoria Cross recipient of the Second World War. In 1998 a memorial plaque was installed by Catlereagh Borough Council on the wall of James's former home at 32 Carncaver Road, Castlereagh, East Belfast. A memorial blue plaque sponsored by Belfast City Council was installed on the outer wall of the Royal Naval Association building at Great Victoria Street, Belfast by the Ulster History Circle.

Monument to a very brave man James Magennis. Tragically his bravery was over shadowed by politics and discrimination. He was indeed a heroic recipient of the VC