Councillor Diane Dodds, MLA, tonight unveiled a blue plaque to Leading Seaman James Magennis VC at a well attended ceremony at the Royal Naval Association premises in Gt. Victoria Street, Belfast.

Leading Seaman Magennis, born in Belfast, undertook a hazardous mission to destroy a Japanese cruiser on 31 July 1945 in the Jahore Strait, using a midget submarine. It proved to be an extremely difficult and dangerous endeavor and an exhausted Magennis afterwards placed himself in the the way of harm to free the submarine from an obstruction that could have endangered the crew.

Councillor Dodds said that she was privledged to carry out the unveiling as the debt owed to such brave men could not be repaid.

These photos give some flavour of the event.