The Tinneny Family History Site
 

Andy and Tony Toland Visit Monument To Their Cousin

Photo L-R Andy and Tony Toland courtesy of Andy Toland.

Brothers Andrew and Anthony Toland visit the monument to their cousin James Magennis near the City Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Andy lives in Lurgan, county Armagh Northern Ireland and Tony lives in Blackpool, England. Below is a brief description of their cousins heroic actions and seberal website links for additional information about him.

James Joseph Magennis (surname 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 raised in the Catholic section of Belfast and 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. He was  awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 31 July 1945 during the Operation. For more information about James Magennis see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5267208.stm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joseph_Magennis

Andy and Tony Toland are the grandsons of Mary Tinneny of Goladuff, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Note: Their cousin, James Magennis, was not a Tinneny descendent.



 

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Updated December 23, 2023
 
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