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| Area A: Kitchen area | Bradford salutes the memory Of Leading Seaman JAMES JOSEPH MAGENNIS Who for his singular bravery In action by Midget submarine X E.3. Against the cruiser Takao In the Jahore Straits, July 31. 1945. was awarded The Victoria Cross. London Gazette 1945 On July 1st. 1945, Midget Submarine X63 was sent into the Straits of Johore with instructions to enter Singapore Harbour. Its mission was to mine and sink Japanese Cruiser TAKAO. The craft carried a diver – Ldg. Seaman MAGENNIS. His task was to leave the X-craft- and swim under water the remaining distance to the Cruiser. He carried with him magnetic limpet mines. These he was to fix beneath the cruiser’s hull. But first he had to scrape off the encrusting barnacles on the hull; a very tiring job. The mines were timed. Speed was essential. Any second he could have been heard and detected. At length he returned safely to the X-craft, the mission accomplished. The X-craft attempted to move away. But something had become fouled up while the craft had lain at the harbour bottom. Exhausted as he now was, Ldg. Seaman MAGENNIS left the craft again and worked to free the obstruction. The danger was that they would all be lost. At last his efforts were rewarded. He returned to the X-craft which made its escape. The cruiser exploded and was sunk. For this act of conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty and to his shipmates, MAGENNIS was awarded the Victoria Cross. |
