James Joseph Magennis Military person

James Joseph Magennis VC (spelling originally McGinnes) (27 October 1919 – 12 February 1986) was a Belfast-born recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the only native of Northern Ireland to receive the Victoria Cross for Second World War service. Magennis was part of several operations involving X-Craft midget submarines in attacks on Axis ships. In July 1945 Magennis was serving on HMS XE3 during Operation Struggle. During an attack on the Japanese cruiser Takao in Singapore, Magennis showed extraordinary valour and bravery by leaving the submarine for a second time in order to free some explosive charges that had got caught. His commanding officer Lieutenant Ian Fraser was also awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 31 July 1945 during the Operation.

Personal facts

Birth date	October 27, 1919
Birth place	Belfast , Ireland
Date of death	February 12, 1986
Place of death	England , Halifax West Yorkshire

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Military person

award	Victoria Cross
military operations	Operation Source XE-class submarine World War II
military unit	HMS Kandahar (F28) XE-class submarine
service start	1935
service end	1949