Michael Magner
{{Short description|Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross (1840–1897)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Michael Magner
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1840|6|21|df=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1897|02|06|1840|06|21}}
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place = County Fermanagh, Ireland
| death_place = Melbourne, Australia
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| image = Michael Magner (1840–1897).png
| image_size =
| allegiance = {{UK}}
| branch = {{Army|United Kingdom}}
| serviceyears =
| rank = Corporal
| unit = 33rd Regiment of Foot
| commands =
| battles = Abyssinia Expedition
| awards = 30px Victoria Cross
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Michael Magner VC (21 June 1840 – 6 February 1897) was born in County Fermanagh, Ireland and was an Irish 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.
Details
He was 27 years old, and a drummer in the 33rd Regiment of Foot, later the Duke of Wellington's Regiment,{{cite web | url=http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=55&pa=52 | title=Victoria Cross recipients – Duke of Wellington's Regiment | accessdate=5 March 2013 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085218/http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=55&pa=52 | archivedate=7 April 2014 }} British Army, during the Abyssinia Expedition when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 13 April 1868 in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), during the assault on Magdala, when the head of the column of attack was checked by the obstacles at the gate, a small stream of officers and men of the 33rd Regiment and an officer of the Royal Engineers broke away from the main approach to Magdala and, reaching the defences, climbed a cliff, forced their way over a wall and through a strong and thorny fence, thus turning the defenders of the gateway. The first two men to enter Magdala were Drummer Magner and a private (James Bergin).{{London Gazette |issue=23405|date=28 July 1868 |page=4187}}
Magner later achieved the rank of corporal. He died in Melbourne, Australia on 6 February 1897.{{cite web | url=http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/2229/michael-magner-victoria-cross-recipient-duke-of-wellington-s-regiment | title=Museum Victoria | accessdate=5 March 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407103544/http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/themes/2229/michael-magner-victoria-cross-recipient-duke-of-wellington-s-regiment | archive-date=7 April 2014 | url-status=dead }}
The medal
Magner's medal is on public display in Museum Victoria, Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Australia.
References
{{reflist}}
- The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
- {{cite journal|first=Brian D. H.|last=Clarke|title=A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men|journal=The Irish Sword|volume=XVI|issue=64|pages=185–287|year=1986}}
- Ireland's VCs {{ISBN|1-899243-00-3}} (Dept of Economic Development, 1995)
- Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
- Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty & David Truesdale, 2000)
External links
- {{find a Grave|7723355}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magner, Michael}}
Category:19th-century Irish people
Category:Irish soldiers in the British Army
Category:British military personnel of the Abyssinian War
Category:Irish recipients of the Victoria Cross
Category:Duke of Wellington's Regiment soldiers
Category:Military personnel from County Fermanagh
Category:Irish emigrants to colonial Australia
Category:British military musicians