Paddy Mayne
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Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne DSO & 3 Bars (11 January 1915 - 14 December 1955) was a Northern Irish soldier.
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[edit] Early life and sporting achievements
Born in the County Down town of Newtownards, Mayne attended Regent House Grammar School. It was here that his talent for rugby union became evident, playing for the 1st XV whilst also playing for local Ards RFC team at the age of 16.
He later studied law at Queen's University of Belfast, qualifying as a solicitor. Whilst at university he took up boxing, becoming Irish Universities Heavyweight Champion.
After gaining six caps for the Irish rugby team, Mayne was selected for the 1938 British Lions Tour of South Africa. He played in seventeen of the twenty provincial matches and all three tests.[1]
His sporting career was cut short by the outbreak of World War II.
[edit] World War II
Mayne initially served with The Queen's University Officer Training Corps (who said that he would never make an officer), 5th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery SR, The Royal Ulster Rifles, The Cameronians and 11 (Scottish) Commando. He first saw action in June 1941 as a lieutenant with 11 Commando, successfully leading his men during the Litani River operation in Lebanon against the Vichy French Forces. Following this action, Mayne was chosen by David Stirling as one of the founder members of the SAS. 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 wreaked havoc destroying hundreds of German and Italian aircraft on the ground.
Following Stirling's capture in January 1943, 1st SAS Regiment was reorganised into two separate components, the Special Raiding Squadron and the Special Boat Section (forerunner of Special Boat Service). As a major, Mayne was appointed to command the Special Raiding Squadron and led this unit with distinction in Italy until the end of 1943. In January 1944 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed commanding officer of 1st SAS Regiment. He then led the regiment, again with distinction through the final campaigns of the war in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Norway.
During the course of the war he became one of the British Army's most decorated soldiers and receiving the Distinguished Service Order with three bars, one of the few people to receive the award four times. Mayne pioneered the use of military Jeeps to conduct raids, particularly on enemy aircraft. By the end of the war it was claimed that he had personally destroyed 130 aircraft.[2]
It has often been questioned why Mayne was not awarded a Victoria Cross. Major General Sir Robert Laycock, Post War Chief of Combined Operations stated that:
I feel I must drop you a line just to tell you how very deeply I appreciate the great honour of being able to address, as my friend, an officer who has succeeded in accomplishing the practically unprecedented task of collecting no less than four DSO's. (I am informed that there is another such superman in the Royal Air Force.)
You deserve all the more, and in my opinion, the appropriate authorities do not really know their job. If they did they would have given you a VC as well. Please do not dream of answering this letter, which brings with it my sincerest admiration and a deep sense of honour in having, at one time been associated with you.
An Early Day Motion in June 2005 also stated that:
This House recognises the grave injustice meted out to Lt Col Paddy Mayne, of 1st, SAS, who won the Victoria Cross at Oldenburg in North West Germany on 9th April 1945; notes that this was subsequently downgraded, some six months later, to a third bar DSO, that the citation had been clearly altered and that David Stirling, founder of the SAS has confirmed that there was considerable prejudice towards Mayne and that King George VI enquired why the Victoria Cross had `so strangely eluded him'; further notes that on 14th December it will be 50 years since Col Mayne's untimely death, in a car accident, and this will be followed on 29th January 2006 by the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Royal Warrant to institute the Victoria Cross; and therefore calls upon the Government to mark these anniversaries by instructing the appropriate authorities to act without delay to reinstate the Victoria Cross given for exceptional personal courage and leadership of the highest order and to acknowledge that Mayne's actions on that day saved the lives of many men and greatly helped the allied advance on Berlin. [3]
[edit] After the war
After a period with the British Antarctic Survey, cut short by a crippling back complaint that emerged during his army service, Mayne returned to Newtownards to work as a solicitor and then as Secretary to the Law Society of Ireland. It is said that Mayne could not adapt to being second in command in the survey party. In December 1955 he died in a car crash a short distance from his home, in a collision with a lorry parked with no lights in the middle of a road.
[edit] Reputation
Accounts of Mayne's personality and appearance vary greatly. He is mentioned as being anything between six feet and six feet four inches tall. Some sources describe him as being reckless and uncontrollable when drunk, which may be the reason for him not receiving a VC. During the 1938 Lions tour it is said he relaxed by "wrecking hotels and fighting dockers".[4] He was allegedly under arrest for knocking out his Commanding Officer when David Stirling came to recruit him for the SAS. Many urban legends of his post-war years exist in Belfast and Newtownards. These mostly tell of incidences when, after drinking for several hours, he would challange every man present in the bar to a fight, which he would invariably win. Other accounts describe him as a courageous leader of his men and a ferocious opponent. He was wont to remonstrate with colleagues in the SAS who showed little understanding of the political situation in Northern Ireland.[5]
A statue of Mayne stands in Conway Square, Newtownards, and the western bypass of the town is also named in his honour.
A British Army base in Kuwait was named for him. It was here that Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins made his famous speech to his troops on the eve of the Gulf War.
A film of his life has long been mooted, with recent speculation linking Liam Neeson to the role. Eddie Irvine has become executive producer for the film. Three books have been written about Mayne, the first being Colonel Paddy by Patrick Marrinan (1960). Rogue Warrior of the SAS: the Blair Mayne legend was written by Ray Bradford and Martin Dillon (1989, updated 2003) features a foreword by David Stirling. Paddy Mayne by Hamish Ross (2004) has sought to debunk the numerous myths and legends concerning Mayne's character and exploits, preferring a more circumspect account based on tangible evidence. Another book, SAS: The History of the Special Raiding Squadron: Paddy's Men by Stewart McClean was published in early 2006.
[edit] Full list of decorations
DSO (24 February 1942, Middle East)
1st bar (21 October 1943, Sicily)
2nd bar (29 March 1944, Normandy)
3rd bar (9 April 1945, Germany)
Africa Star, 8th Army bar, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, 1939-45 War Medal, Defence Medal, War Medal & Oak Leaf, Légion D' Honneur, Croix De Guerre & Palm.[6]
