History note
Frogman swim suit worn on 31 July 1945 by Leading Seaman James Joseph Magennis RN when as the diver of the Midget Submarine XE3 (commanded by Lieutenant Ian Edward Fraser RNR) he attached limpet explosive charges to the hull of the Japanese Heavy Cruiser 'Takao', then lying in the Johore Straits to guard the entrance to occupied Singapore. Six hours later the charges tore a hole in the cruiser's hull, putting her turrets out of action, damaging her range finders, flooding numerous compartments and immobilising the cruiser for the remainder of the war. Both Magennis and Fraser gained the Victoria Cross for this hazardous mission, with the other two crew members also decorated.
Physical description
i) mask ii) body Royal Navy frogman swim suit, 2 elements: i) Face mask comprising black rubber mask, round glass face piece, breathing valve and mouthpiece; ii) Body suit (one piece?) iii) flippers,rubber-denoted left & right
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