I recently discovered a World War II commando who was an unsung action hero ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” Irishman Lt. Col. Robert ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œPaddyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Mayne, one of the most decorated British Army officers of the war. Born in 1915 to a prominent Scots-Presbyterian family, Mayne pioneered modern special forces warfare.
Before becoming a military legend, Mayne distinguished himself as a top athlete. At QueenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s University Belfast, he became the Irish Universities heavyweight boxing champion in 1936. His rugby career was even more impressive ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” he played five times for Ireland in international competitions before being selected for the 1938 British all-star tour to South Africa.
MayneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s adventurous spirit became evident during that tour. South African newspapers praised his outstanding rugby performance and noted his off-field exploits, which included sneaking away from formal dinners to hunt antelope or carouse in bars while still wearing his dinner jacket (tuxedo).
After graduating with a law degree in 1939, Mayne was commissioned into the army just before World War II. His military career began when he volunteered for No. 11 (Scottish) Commando, seeing his first action in June 1941 during the Syria campaign against Vichy French forces.
Mayne preferred leading small, elite raiding parties ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” going in behind enemy lines, causing destruction and confusion and then quickly retreating through Allied lines. Traditional commando operations were too conservative for his style.
His pivotal career moment came when he transferred to the newly formed Special Air Service. The SAS conducted daring raids in North Africa, with Mayne playing a central role in developing new tactics.
He pioneered the use of armed jeeps for hit-and-run attacks on Axis airfields, destroying more than 100 enemy aircraft. It calls to mind the 1960s TV series ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe Rat Patrol.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
In January 1943, Mayne was appointed to command a raiding squadron, leading operations in Sicily and Italy. By January 1944, he had been promoted to lieutenant colonel and took command of the re-formed 1st SAS Regiment, leading them through campaigns in France, Germany and Norway.
MayneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s personal courage became legendary ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” so much so that his biographer had to debunk many of the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œsupermanÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ myths that grew around him. During the Sicily and French landings, he repeatedly led from the front. In his final wartime operation in Germany in April 1945, he rescued wounded men and eliminated a German machine-gun position ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” actions for which Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery recommended him for the Victoria Cross.
Mayne became one of the most highly decorated soldiers in British Army history, receiving the Distinguished Service Order with three bars ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” effectively earning the DSO four times. After the war, he returned to a legal career in Belfast.
Suffering from chronic back pain due to wartime parachuting injuries, Mayne rarely attended public events or spoke about his military service. His life was cut short at age 40 when he died in a car accident in Ireland in 1955. Were it not for biographers, few today would know of Paddy Mayne. He was not a self-promoter.
His portrayal in the BBC television drama ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSAS: Rogue HeroesÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ introduces his story to a new generation, helping to cement Paddy MayneÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s place as a founding father of the modern special forces.
Grant McGuire is a Huntington resident. His email address is grant11955@gmail.com.
