hi Ryan, War hero Magennis was treated very badly when he returned home and certainly was not given the welcome and accreditation that he fully deserved! This was the same for Catholics who served in the 1st WW too. Their own community didn't want them because they had worn the British army uniform and the Unionist Protestants didn't acknowledge or want them because they were Catholics! Dreadful! The Southern Gov't was worse! It refused them all sorts of working rights etc and there was no war pension I think there.
My father served in the second world war Tom, i remember when i was young all the stories he would tell me about his time in the army, when he spoke of his experiences it was with pride. He was Catholic but was proud of the little contribution he gave on the war.
Ryan Darcy People here, particularly in the Protestant community, are largely unaware of just how big the Catholic numbers were, from both north and south, in the WW1 and WW2 war effort. I had not known that nearly %50 of the 36th Ulster division, mowed down at the Somme, were made up of Catholics! The Connaght Rangers exhibition held recently at the City Hall brought this fact to my attention. Cheers Ryan.
James got a good welcome when he returned. However, there was a bit of a mix-up and the crowds waiting to greet him missed him. He got a reception at the City Hall and the Lord Mayor and other dignitaries were there to welcome him. On his return to the Protestant Village area of the Donegall Road(where he lived) he was given a heroes welcome though he avoided them and slipped in the back door to his house. But the next day they put on a welcome for him in the Windsor Cinema on the Donegall Rd.
Hey Billy thanks for calling in. This is very interesting and puts things in a new light. I certainly didn't know any of this. It did cross my mind that it was strange that he chose to live on the edge of Clonduff estate if he had been totally ostracised by the Protestant community. Obviously many working class Protestants recognised and honored his bravery.
Tom did you read it? It was in the Irish News. My own thoughts were that individuals who won the VC didn't have a statue to them unless they were Generals etc.I thought their names were just added to the war memorials. I can't remember any statues for the Somme VCs or other conflicts of bygone days
Hi Billy, I didn't know about this J Magennis info at all. I didn't know about the Irish News article. I'll try and find it. SAS men were rarely if ever awarded VCs becasue they were expected to be heroes.They would never, if ever, have had statues after them. Yet Blair Mayne '(Col. Paddy' has a statue in Newtownards. Locals paid for it. VC winners not having statues? Um I'm not sure. There are plenty of gable wall pictures of our WW1 VC recipients. And the Queen recently unveiled a statue in honour of Bushmills VC winner Robert Quigg. Local people put up the money for the statue. I have all this up on a RUclips video or two. I'm not sure whether they is any set 'rule' on this. Best wishes
My brother called me a few years ago asking what I could remember of our Fathers War stories, his son had been asked at school to find out about family history and write a short piece. I suggested my Nephew google his own name James Magennis, a younger cousin.
Wow Presstodelete! That family name is something to be so proud of! I'm sure your nephew found much more than he expected! lol Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills of Northern Ireland.
He was my Uncle from my Dads side. I do intend to visit the memorial one day
This guy was a hero who thought nothing for his own safety art the time Darren. Amazing what he did! Best wishes from Belfat Northern Ireland
Indeed he was originally from the falls road Tom, amazing and brave guy.
hi Ryan, War hero Magennis was treated very badly when he returned home and certainly was not given the welcome and accreditation that he fully deserved! This was the same for Catholics who served in the 1st WW too. Their own community didn't want them because they had worn the British army uniform and the Unionist Protestants didn't acknowledge or want them because they were Catholics! Dreadful! The Southern Gov't was worse! It refused them all sorts of working rights etc and there was no war pension I think there.
My father served in the second world war Tom, i remember when i was young all the stories he would tell me about his time in the army, when he spoke of his experiences it was with pride. He was Catholic but was proud of the little contribution he gave on the war.
Ryan Darcy
People here, particularly in the Protestant community, are largely unaware of just how big the Catholic numbers were, from both north and south, in the WW1 and WW2 war effort. I had not known that nearly %50 of the 36th Ulster division, mowed down at the Somme, were made up of Catholics!
The Connaght Rangers exhibition held recently at the City Hall brought this fact to my attention. Cheers Ryan.
James got a good welcome when he returned. However, there was a bit of a mix-up and the crowds waiting to greet him missed him. He got a reception at the City Hall and the Lord Mayor and other dignitaries were there to welcome him. On his return to the Protestant Village area of the Donegall Road(where he lived) he was given a heroes welcome though he avoided them and slipped in the back door to his house. But the next day they put on a welcome for him in the Windsor Cinema on the Donegall Rd.
Hey Billy thanks for calling in.
This is very interesting and puts things in a new light.
I certainly didn't know any of this.
It did cross my mind that it was strange that he chose to live on the edge of Clonduff estate if he had been totally ostracised by the Protestant community. Obviously many working class Protestants recognised and honored his bravery.
Tom did you read it? It was in the Irish News. My own thoughts were that individuals who won the VC didn't have a statue to them unless they were Generals etc.I thought their names were just added to the war memorials. I can't remember any statues for the Somme VCs or other conflicts of bygone days
Hi Billy, I didn't know about this J Magennis info at all. I didn't know about the Irish News article. I'll try and find it.
SAS
men were rarely if ever awarded VCs becasue they were expected to be
heroes.They would never, if ever, have had statues after them. Yet Blair
Mayne '(Col. Paddy' has a statue in Newtownards. Locals paid for it.
VC
winners not having statues? Um I'm not sure. There are plenty of gable
wall pictures of our WW1 VC recipients. And the Queen recently unveiled a
statue in honour of Bushmills VC winner Robert Quigg. Local people put
up the money for the statue. I have all this up on a RUclips video or
two.
I'm not sure whether they is any set 'rule' on this.
Best wishes
I think i have a copy of it Tom. Will have a look
Tom, do you want me to send it on here ?
My brother called me a few years ago asking what I could remember of our Fathers War stories, his son had been asked at school to find out about family history and write a short piece. I suggested my Nephew google his own name James Magennis, a younger cousin.
Wow Presstodelete!
That family name is something to be so proud of!
I'm sure your nephew found much more than he expected! lol
Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills of Northern Ireland.
I live on Kinross avenue right next to there
Good man cool Gamer 190409. My most favourite game of all was Red Dead Redemption. I might even buy the sequel when it comes out soon. Brilliant game.
And He had to go to England to get work .You cant eat A V/C