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

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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 ] 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]

Early Day Motion 317: Lt Col Paddy Mayne". House of Commons. 14 July 2005 . Retrieved 13 February 2017.At his funeral hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their respects and to see him interred in a family plot in the town's old Movilla Abbey graveyard. After his death his masonic jewel was preserved for many years by an old schoolfriend before it was presented to Newtownards Borough Council where it was displayed in the Mayoral Chamber of the Council Offices. A road in the town was later named in his honour and in 1997 a statue was dedicated to him outside the town hall. [32] Reputation [ edit ] Halliday, Hugh Valour Reconsidered: Inquiries into The Victoria Cross (Robin Brass Studio Inc, Toronto, ON, 2006)

Ross, Hamish (2003). Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0750934527.

Lt Col. Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne DSO Freemason". Irish Masonic History and the Jewels of Irish Freemasonry . Retrieved 3 May 2022. a b Cooper, Geoff (2021). "Re-discovering the Forgotten Fid". Antarctic Times. UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (51): 20–21. 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 ] a b "Blair Mayne Association". Web Archive. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011 . Retrieved 20 September 2021. Paddy Mayne: The bravehearted Irish Lion who joined the SAS". The Irish Times. 2 June 2017 . Retrieved 14 November 2022.

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 ] 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]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. Wulfsohn, Ryan. "SAS Founding Fathers, Part One". specialoperations.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012 . Retrieved 7 April 2008. 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: Ross, Hamish (2011). Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment. History Press. p.89. ISBN 978-0752469652. Irish SAS Hero: Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne". History.Net. 17 August 2021 . Retrieved 14 November 2022.

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. On the night of Tuesday 13 December 1955, after attending a regular meeting of the Friendship Lodge, Mayne continued drinking with a masonic friend in the nearby town of Bangor, before making his way home in the early hours. At about 04:00 he was found dead in his Riley roadster in Mill Street, Newtownards, having reportedly collided with a farmer's vehicle. [34] [32] While at university he took up boxing, becoming Irish Universities Heavyweight Champion in August 1936. He followed this by reaching the final of the British Universities Heavyweight Championship, but was beaten on points. With a handicap of 8, he won the Scrabo Golf Club President's Cup the next year. [5]On 10 July 1943, Major Mayne carried out two successful operations, the first the capture of CD battery the outcome of which was vital to the safe landing of 13 Corps. By nightfall SRS had captured three additional batteries, 450 prisoners, as well as killing 200 to 300 Italians. The second operation was to capture and hold of the town of Augusta. The landing was carried out in daylight – a most hazardous combined operation. By the audacity displayed, the Italians were forced from their positions and masses of stores and equipment were saved from enemy demolition. In both these operations it was Major Mayne's courage, determination and superb leadership which proved the key to success. He personally led his men from landing craft in the face of heavy machine-gun fire. By this action, he succeeded in forcing his way to ground where it was possible to form up and sum up the enemy's defences. 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 ]