James Patrick Scully, GC (20 October 1909 – 28 December 1974) was an Irishman who served in the Royal Pioneer Corps of the British Army during World War II and was awarded the George Cross, the United Kingdom's highest award for civilian gallantry and for military gallantry outside combat.

After a basic education in Dublin, he moved to London in 1925 at the age of 16 to seek work, and gained employment as a labourer.

In January 1941, he volunteered for the British Army, and was assigned to 256 Company, Royal Pioneer Corps, which was deployed to Birkenhead, Merseyside.

It was then he performed the deed which won him the George Cross, by sheer determination and physical strength protecting a couple trapped in a ruined house from collapsing masonry while rescue workers laboured for over seven hours to clear the rubble.

When houses were demolished by enemy action, a rescue party under the direction of Lieutenant Chittenden went to the incident and a search was made for trapped people.

Lieutenant Chittenden and Corporal Scully knew there was a grave risk of injury or death as the high walls nearby appeared about to collapse at any moment.

Corporal Scully risked his life to save the two people and, though the position looked hopeless, Lieutenant Chittenden stayed with him.

Western Command of the approval of the award, he took swift action, as recounted by Marion Hebblethwaite in One Step Further - The George Cross:'I then heard that Scully was to be presented to the King so I arranged for him to be fitted out by a skilled tailor.

With his escort he then had an enormous high tea and was taken to a cinema; after a few drinks he was put on the train to Liverpool thoroughly bewildered by his crowded day.

Warned by a message of his E.T.A., an escort of a Sergeant and four men was arranged to meet him, as it was thought his "Irish temperament" might have caused trouble but on arrival he was sound asleep'.

On 28 December 1974, he collapsed at the home of his nephew Brendan Foster,[8] the Olympic runner and BBC commentator, in Hebburn-on-Tyne, and died.

[3] He was buried in Streatham Cemetery in Tooting, London Borough of Wandsworth alongside his wife, who had died on 13 December 1971.