Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment

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Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne was born in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland (now Northern Ireland), the sixth of seven children in a Protestant family. The Maynes were prominent landowners who owned several retail businesses in the town. He was named Robert Blair after a second cousin, who at the time of his birth was a British Army officer serving in the First World War. The family home, Mount Pleasant, is situated on the hills above Newtownards. [2] In March 1939, prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, Mayne had joined the Supplementary Reserve in Newtownards and received a commission in the Royal Artillery, being posted to 5 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, in 8th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, later 8th (Belfast) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment. [4] When the battery was assigned to 9th Anti-Aircraft Regiment (later 9th (Londonderry) Heavy AA Regiment) for overseas' service, Mayne was transferred out to 66th Light AA Regiment in Northern Ireland. Then, in April 1940, he was transferred again, this time to the Royal Ulster Rifles. [10]

While on tour in South Africa with the Lions in 1938, Mayne's rambunctious nature came to the fore, smashing up colleagues' hotel rooms, temporarily freeing a convict he had befriended and who was working on the construction of the Ellis Park Stadium and also sneaking off from a formal dinner to go antelope hunting. [8] Paddy Mayne: The bravehearted Irish Lion who joined the SAS". The Irish Times. 2 June 2017 . Retrieved 14 November 2022. Halliday, Hugh Valour Reconsidered: Inquiries into The Victoria Cross (Robin Brass Studio Inc, Toronto, ON, 2006) Halliday mentions several other downgraded VC nominations and discusses the changing standards and conditions of award of the VC over time, including many examples of VCs downgraded to lesser awards in the Second World War.The success of his mission to clear a path for the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division and sow disorganisation among the enemy was due to his "brilliant military leadership and cool calculating courage" and a "single act of bravery" which "drove the enemy from a strongly held key village thereby breaking the crust of the enemy defences in the whole of this sector." [24] However, in a standard practice of the time, the award was downgraded to a lesser award, and Mayne instead received a third bar to the DSO (in other words, a fourth award of the DSO). [25] Keyes' diary makes it clear that Mayne was brought before the divisional commander, Brigadier Rodwell, on 23 June, for assaulting Napier, the second-in-command of his battalion. Mayne had a grudge against Napier, who had not taken part in the Litani raid, and who, according to a serving member of 11 Commando, had shot Mayne's pet dog while Mayne had been away. Mayne was attached to his pet, and was furious about this. [13] Keyes' diary records that, on the evening of 21 June, after drinking heavily in the mess, Mayne waited by Napier's tent and assaulted him when he returned. Keyes also records in his diary that Mayne was dismissed from 11 Commando the following day, 23 June, but does not say that he was arrested. [14] SAS – 1941 and 1942 [ edit ] In April 1945, Mayne led two armoured jeep squadrons through the front lines toward Oldenburg in Operation Howard, the last one of its type in the war. He rescued his wounded men and eliminated a German machine-gun position in a local village. A citation, approved by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, commander of the Allied 21st Army Group, was issued recommending Mayne for the Victoria Cross. [23] Nicholson, Rebecca (30 October 2022). "SAS: Rogue Heroes review – is the follow up to Peaky Blinders fun? Does Arthur Shelby like a drink?". The Guardian . Retrieved 31 October 2022. During the course of the Second World War, Mayne became one of the British Army's most highly decorated soldiers. [1] He was controversially denied a Victoria Cross.

Tudor, Malcolm (2018). SAS in Italy 1943-1945: Raiders in Enemy Territory. Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1781556979. Wulfsohn, Ryan. "SAS Founding Fathers, Part One". specialoperations.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012 . Retrieved 7 April 2008.Bradford, Roy; Dillon, Martin (1987). Rogue Warrior of the S.A.S.: Lt.Col.Paddy Blair Mayne, D.S.O. John Murray Publishers. ISBN 978-0719544309. Blair Mayne WW2 SAS Special Forces Newtownards". 12 July 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010.

During the course of the war he became one of the British Army's most highly decorated soldiers and received the DSO with three Bars. [22] Recommendation for the Victoria Cross [ edit ] Mayne was inclined to remonstrate with colleagues in the armed services who showed little or no understanding of the complex politics of Northern Ireland. [37] Legacy [ edit ]Halliday, Hugh Valour Reconsidered: Inquiries into The Victoria Cross (Robin Brass Studio Inc, Toronto, ON, 2006) Appendix E

Following Stirling's capture in January 1943, 1st SAS Regiment was reorganised into two separate parts, the Special Raiding Squadron (SRS) and the Special Boat Section (the forerunner of the Special Boat Service). As a major, Mayne was appointed to command the Special Raiding Squadron and led the unit in Sicily and Italy until the end of 1943. In Sicily, Mayne was awarded a Bar to his DSO. [20] The official citation reads as follows:From November 1941 through to the end of 1942, Mayne participated in many night raids deep behind enemy lines in the deserts of Egypt and Libya, where the SAS wrought havoc by destroying many enemy aircraft on the ground. Mayne pioneered the use of military jeeps to conduct surprise hit-and-run raids, particularly on Axis airfields. It was claimed that he had personally destroyed up to 100 aircraft. [15] Mayne took part in the most successful SAS raid of the desert war when, on the night of 26 July 1942, with eighteen armed jeeps, he and Stirling raided the Sidi Haneish Airfield. They avoided detection, destroyed up to 40 German aircraft and escaped with the loss of only three jeeps and two men killed. [19] Commanding officer [ edit ] He will be remembered as the bravest man in history to never be awarded the Victoria Cross" ". Lord Ashcroft. 14 November 2020 . Retrieved 3 May 2022. The UK Government declined to re-open the case, though the Blair Mayne Association vowed to continue their campaign to have the Victoria Cross retrospectively awarded. [28] After the war [ edit ] Mayne's grave Movilla Abbey graveyard in Newtownards