John Macnamara facts for kids
John Robert Jermain Macnamara was a British officer and politician born on 11 October 1905. He served in the British Army and was also a member of the Conservative Party. Sadly, he was killed while fighting in Italy during World War II on 22 December 1944. He was the last Member of Parliament (MP) to die in battle while still serving in his political role.
Early Life and Politics
John Macnamara went to school at Haileybury. While there, he was part of the Officer Training Corps, which helped prepare young people for military service.
In May 1934, he tried to become a Member of Parliament for the Upton area but was not successful. However, in the 1935 general election, he was elected as the MP for Chelmsford. As an MP, he helped lead the Basque Children's Committee with another politician, Wilfrid Roberts. This committee worked to help children from the Basque region.
Military Service
Macnamara joined the Territorial Army (TA) on 11 January 1924. The TA was a part-time reserve group of the British Army. He became a second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the London Regiment.
During World War II, he took command of the 1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles. This was another TA battalion. He was later promoted to the rank of colonel. His battalion, known as "The Black Cats," was part of the 56th (London) Infantry Division. They fought in the Italian theatre of war.
In December 1944, Colonel Macnamara was visiting his troops in Italy. He was with the 1st London Irish as they moved to the Senio Line to replace another group of soldiers. While he was watching his men, German mortar shells suddenly fell on the area. Colonel Macnamara and Lieutenant J. Prosser were killed. He was buried in the Forlì War Cemetery.
