Dillon, Martin; Bradford, Roy (2011). Rogue Warrior of the SAS: The Blair Mayne Legend. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1780573779. 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 ] Ross, Hamish (2003). Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment. Sutton Publishing. ISBN 978-0750934527. 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. 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]

a b Cooper, Geoff (2021). "Re-discovering the Forgotten Fid". Antarctic Times. UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (51): 20–21. 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]a b "Blair Mayne Association". Web Archive. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011 . Retrieved 20 September 2021. Irish SAS Hero: Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne". History.Net. 17 August 2021 . Retrieved 14 November 2022. 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. 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] Robert Blair Mayne, DSO& Three Bars (11 January 1915 – 14 December 1955), better known as Paddy Mayne, was a British Army officer from Newtownards, capped for Ireland and the British Lions at rugby union, lawyer, amateur boxer, and a founding member of the Special Air Service (SAS).

Ross, Hamish (2011). Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 SAS Regiment. History Press. p.89. ISBN 978-0752469652.Bull, Andy (15 June 2013). "A history of Lions tours: 'Drinking bouts, unpaid debts, girls in tears' ". The Guardian . Retrieved 14 June 2014. Early Day Motion 317: Lt Col Paddy Mayne". House of Commons. 14 July 2005 . Retrieved 13 February 2017. 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 ] Scholey, Pete (2011). SAS Heroes: Remarkable Soldiers, Extraordinary Men. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1780962429. Tudor, Malcolm (2018). SAS in Italy 1943-1945: Raiders in Enemy Territory. Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1781556979.

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]Halliday, Hugh Valour Reconsidered: Inquiries into The Victoria Cross (Robin Brass Studio Inc, Toronto, ON, 2006)

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. Me and my health: retired British Army Colonel Tim Collins on his lifestyle". The Belfast Telegraph. 4 February 2020 . Retrieved 14 November 2022.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 ] 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] McClean, Stewart (2005). SAS: The History of the Special Raiding Squadron "Paddy's Men". Spellmount. ISBN 978-1862272873. 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.