Lt Col Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne DSO and 3 Bars, 1 SAS Regiment, was a courageous and brilliant special forces soldier, and one of the most outstanding leaders of the Second World War. A qualified solicitor and Irish Universities heavyweight boxing champion, the Ulsterman had played international rugby for both Ireland and the British Lions before the war.
From the Royal Ulster Rifles, he volunteered for the Commandos. Where, as a Troop Leader with No.11 (Scottish) Commando, he saw action in Syria, before joining David Stirling’s fledgling unit – ‘L’ Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade. A title purposely designed to deceive the Germans, as the unit’s initial strength was set at six officers and sixty men.
Paddy Mayne’s achievements from Troop Commander to Commanding Officer of 1 SAS Regiment reads like something from a Boy’s Own comic. In North Africa the raids he led on Axis airfields destroyed over one hundred aircraft on the ground. In Sicily and Italy, he and his men were first into the fray destroying coastal defences and artillery positions, in advance of the main assaults. In France, they operated ruthlessly behind enemy lines, and in Germany they were at the tip of the spear that led the armoured charge into the Nazi heartland.
For his leadership, courage and complete disregard for danger Paddy Mayne was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) four times.
The first for the raid on the Tamet airfield in Libya during December 1941, where under his leadership, his small section of men succeeded in destroying many aeroplanes, a bomb dump, and a petrol dump. He led this raid in person and himself destroyed and killed many of the enemy. His citation stated that ‘the task set was of the most hazardous nature, and it was due to this officer’s courage and leadership that success was achieved.’
His second DSO was for two successful operations in Sicily in July 1943, the first, the capture and destruction of a coastal defence battery on Capo Murro Di Porco, the outcome of which was vital to the safe landing of XIII Corps. By the end of the day, his unit had captured three additional Batteries, 450 prisoners as well as killing nearly 300 enemy soldiers. The second task was the capture and holding of the town of Augusta. The landing was carried out in daylight, a most hazardous combined operation, but the fearlessness displayed by Mayne and his men, the enemy were forced from their positions. In both these operations it was Mayne’s courage, determination and superb leadership which proved the key to success. He personally led his men from the landing craft in the face of heavy machine gun fire and in the case of the Augusta raid, mortar fire. By these actions he succeeded in forcing his way to ground where it was possible to form up and sum up the enemy’s defences.
Mayne’s third DSO came for operations in France in 1945, where he successfully penetrated the German lines in a jeep on four occasions in order to lead parties of reinforcements. It was due to his leadership, the example he set, and his utter disregard of danger that his tasks where successfully completed.
His fourth DSO, which was downgraded from the initial recommendation for the Victoria Cross, was for operations in Germany in 1945. Its citation describes Mayne’s actions:
‘The following is a detailed account of the Lt Col’s individual action which called for both unsurpassed heroism and cool clear sighted military knowledge. Lt Col Mayne on receiving a wireless message from the leading squadron reporting that it was heavily engaged by enemy fire, and that the squadron commander had been killed, immediately drove forward to the scene of the action. From the time of his arrival until the end of the action Lt Col Mayne was in full view of the enemy and exposed to fire from small arms, machine guns, sniper rifles and Panzerfausts. On arrival he summed up the situation in a matter of seconds and entered the nearest house alone and ensured the enemy here had either withdrawn or been killed. He then seized a Bren gun and magazines and single-handedly fired burst after burst into a second house, killing or wounding the enemy there.’
Lord Ashcroft, who has a life-long interest in bravery, and creator of world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses, shares the opinion of Peter Forbes, an expert on Mayne’s life, who said that ‘Perhaps Blair Mayne is destined to go down in history as the bravest man never to have been awarded the VC.’
After the war Blair Mayne was recognised by the French by being awarded the Légion d’Honneur and the Croix de Guerre with palm, of which they said he was:
‘An officer of great worth, whose courage and daring demand the respect of all. He has greatly deserved the recognition of France.’
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