1

LEGENDARY WARRIOR OF THE SAS

Lt. Col. ROBERT BLAIR MAYNE, DSO





The author dedicates this book to the memory of four wonderful
women. To his sister Andrea (Andy), who tragically died well before
her allotted time. To his mother Margaret (Maggie) who still lovingly
looks after him from heaven. To his grandmother Mary (Molly), who
was the most gracious Lady he ever met. And finally to his great-
grandmother Margaret (Madge), who gave birth to one of Ulsters
finest; Paddy Mayne.

The author wishes to convey his appreciation to Stewart McLean and
Derek Harkness of the Blair Mayne Association, the Secretary of the
Special Air Service Regimental Association and especially thank
Colonel A de P Gauvain (Retired) Chairman of PTSD Resolution,
which helps to rebuild the lives of ex-servicemen and women.


The views of the author outlined in this book are not to be taken as
representative of any other member of the Mayne family.

Proceeds from the sale of this e-book will go towards the PTSD
Resolution Project, Registered Charity No. 1133188.

All rights Reserved

Copyright John ONeill 2012.
2

Contents Page



Foreword 3

Introduction 3

Blair Mayne Time Line 5

Family Background 7

Chapter 1 Psychopath or Hero? 9

Chapter 2 The Desert Campaign 22

Chapter 3 Sicily & France 31

Chapter 4 France & Germany 58

Chapter 5 The creation of Folklore 70

Chapter 6 Like a Candle in the Wind 79

Postscript 90

Appendix 1 Bibliography 98

Appendix 2 Extract from War Time Diary 99

Appendix 3 SAS Regimental Song 100

Illustrations 43

About the author 102
3

Foreword

Much has been written about Blair Mayne since his death 57 years
ago; and there has been much speculation about his complex
character, his amazingly courageous exploits, and his untimely and
unglamorous death. This book provides some further insight into the
nature of the man, by revealing for the first time some more private
papers and photographs that have come to light.

One aspect of his life and death is the way he dealt with the transition
from operational to civilian life after the war. Posthumous
psychological assessment is not possible with any certainty, but what
we now know about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may well
have affected his behaviour, and indeed his decline and death. This
book is one more contribution to knowledge that can inform those of
us who work in this field and are concerned with the effective
treatment of this distressing condition.

Colonel A de P Gauvain (Retired)
Chairman, PTSD Resolution

Introduction

On the 6
th
May 1980 the British Armys top secret regiment the
Special Air Service (SAS) burst onto the front pages of just about
every newspaper, after the successful conclusion to the Iranian
Embassy siege in South Kensington, London. Everyone, (even the
Prime Minister wanted to meet the men) wanted to know all about this
organization, which had up until that moment been carrying out secret
operations, (away from the view of the press) against terrorists across
the world. It was thought that before then, only the Army top brass
and the serving men and their families, knew about the SAS. Those
with long memories from the Second World War, however, would
have known that in fact, the existence of the original SAS was
4

officially revealed to the world through the media in August 1944. By
this time the tide of the war in France was beginning to turn in the
Allies favour. This was in part due to the successful operations of the
SAS working with the French resistance, before and after D-day on 6
th

June 1944.

The SAS had been working secretly behind enemy lines since its
creation, in July 1941. It was the brain child of David Stirling with
the help of Jock Lewes. The first successful raid on a German
Airfield was led by Lt. Robert Blair Mayne, together with Sgt.
McDonald, Ptes Chesworth, Seekings, White and Hawkins. For this
operation Mayne was to receive the first of four Distinguished Service
Orders. He had already been mentioned in dispatches for a raid on the
Litani River against the Vichy French in Syria in June 1941. Jock
Lewes was tragically killed in action in January 1942 and David
Stirling was captured towards the end of the desert campaign in
January 1943. Paddy Mayne was nominated by David Stirling to take
over 1
st
SAS. His first job was to persuade the High Command not to
disband the SAS, since he argued that it could be used in future
operations. This he managed to do with tremendous success.

This book is about one of the most decorated soldiers of the Second
World War, Robert Blair Mayne, Paddy Mayne to his men and Blair
to his family. He was to become one of the Regiments greatest
legends. Many authors have attempted to analyse the complex
character and behaviour of Blair Mayne (BM). His untimely death in
a motor car accident in 1955 ended his charmed life, because he came
through the war without serious physical injury. To his men he was
an indestructible God like figure who brought good fortune to any
operation he was involved in. Like many soldiers however, after the
war the mental scars that he suffered in combat, with the loss of his
men and friends, were not attended to. This led him into a cul-de-sac
of self destruction, fuelled by alcohol and high jinks, which could
never replace the surge of adrenaline high, experienced during top
secret, behind-the-lines, SAS operations.
5


His achievements and behaviour have led many to label him as a
psychopathic killer and unnecessary risk taker. This book is based
upon never before published or forgotten family letters, photos and
newspaper articles, inherited by the author who is a relative of BM.
The letters in particular paint a picture of a caring, humorous man,
who during even the toughest of times at war, found time to keep his
feet on the ground and keep in touch with reality, through regular
correspondence with his family.



Blair Mayne Time line

Born, Newtownards, 11
th
January 1915

Attended Newtownards Academy (and later on Regent House
School), Newtownards 1924. School report of 1925 stated that he
worked well and his form work was good. His best subject was
English and his worst subject was drawing.

Attended Queens University, Belfast, to study law 1933

British Lions rugby tour of South Africa 1938

Officer Training Corps, promoted to 2
nd
Lieutenant, Queens
University, March 1939

Mentioned in dispatches for Litani River raid, Syria June 1941, with
11
th
Scottish Commando

David Stirling set up the SAS, July 1941

BM joined SAS Sep. 1941

6

First abortive mission of SAS, November 1941

First successful raid on a German airfield, December 1941, DSO
awarded, announced 20
th
February 1942

Failed Benghazi raid, September 1942, during main raid on Tobruk

2
nd
successful Battle of El Alamein, October 1942

Stirling captured, January 1943

Desert campaign over, January 1943

10-12
th
July 1943 Sicily, 1
st
Bar to DSO, announced 19
th
October 1943

Promoted to Lt. Col. and became CO of 1
st
SAS, January 1944.

2
nd
DSO Bar France June 1944

SAS officially revealed in press for first time August 1944

3
rd
DSO Bar, 9
th
April 1945, announced 11
th
October 1945

Goes to Falklands on Antarctic expedition December 1945

Appointed Secretary of Incorporated Law Society of N. Ireland, April
1946

Killed in car crash, 14
th
December 1955






7

Family Background

Robert Blair Mayne was the second youngest child of William Mayne,
of Mountpleasant, Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland,
and Margaret Boyle Vance, the daughter of a wealthy linen merchant,
Gilbert Boyle Vance, who owned Movilla House in Newtownards.
BMs father William was born in 1876 and was the eldest of five. A
younger brother Andrew McCutcheon Mayne was awarded a medal
during the First World War while fighting in Rhodesia. The youngest
son James Mayne emigrated and farmed in Hopetown, Victoria,
Australia. Another sister married and emigrated to Canada. The
Maynes can be traced back (five more generations from BMs
generation) to James Mayne born in 1754 from Glastry.

The eldest of BMs siblings was Mary Mayne born in 1901, the
authors grandmother. She married a successful architect from Belfast
and lived in Massey Park [1] East Belfast, until his retirement. Next
came Thomas who worked for his father in the family grocery
business, born in 1903. Then Barbara Law Vance born in 1904, who
became a nurse. She was followed by William, born in 1907, who
joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Next came Frances Eleanor
born in 1910, who was a teacher, and who married a distant cousin
William Mayne Elliott on her retirement. Robert Blair was born in
1915, and finally James Douglas was born in 1918. After serving
with the RAF during World War II, he settled down to marry his
sweet heart Maureen, and became a successful dentist, raising three
children, Fiona, Blair and Patrick, and horses [2] at Mountpleasant.

It is believed that BM was named after a Captain R.C.R. Blair DSO,
who fought in the First World War, of the 5
th
Battalion Border
Regiment. Gilbert Vance, the linen merchant who died in 1891 was
involved with a businessman called Blair, who set up an unsuccessful
iron works in Cumbria in 1872. The works finally closed at a loss in
1889, and an attempt was made to auction it off on 13
th
February 1890
8

in the Grand Hotel, Whitehaven. The Blairs lived in Seascale,
Cumbria.

BMs great-grandmother was an ONeill [3] called Frances. It was
because of this family connection that the Mayne burial plot lies
within the walls of the ancient monastery of Movilla, Newtownards.

[1] Massey Park was named after the World War I Prime Minister of New Zealand,
William Ferguson Massey. Nearby is the Massey Avenue which leads up to the
Government Buildings at Stormont, where the authors grandfather worked as an
architect, after volunteering with the Royal Irish Rifles during World War I. After the
partition of Ireland the Royal Irish Rifles was re-named the Royal Ulster Rifles, which
BM joined before transferring to the Cameronians then the Commandos.

[2] One of the horses, called the Molar, owned jointly by Douglas and William Mayne
together with another dentist, Hugh McCann, was one of the favourites for the Grand
National in 1970, at the start of the troubles in Northern Ireland.

[3] According to Burkes Peerage (the flag of Ulster, originally included the red and
gold colours of Iberia, representing the Burke family, with the red hand of the
ONeills, representing the early holy origins of Ulster), the ONeills are the oldest
traceable family in Europe. They are descended from Niall of the nine hostages, circa
360 AD, whose mother was a British princess. The ONeills of Tyrone (Land of
Eoghan/Owen/John) migrated into the Nether Clan de Boy region of Antrim and then
County Down in the 14
th
Century. They were known as the Clandeboye ONeills.
Their power was curtailed by the Earl of Essex when he had many of the clan killed in
their sleep after a three day banquet to discuss peace terms, between the English and
Irish in Ulster in 1574. The Clandeboye Estate outside Newtownards was first settled
(as opposed to being planted) in 1674. See photos of Ulster Tower, in France, on
pages 56 & 57.
9

Chapter 1

Psychopath or hero?

As Others See Us

Firstly there were the Scots
Who kept the Sabbath
And everything else
They could lay their hands on

Secondly there were the Welsh
Who prayed on their knees
And their neighbours

Thirdly there were the Irish
Who never knew what they wanted
But were willing to fight for it anyway

Lastly there were the English
Who considered themselves a self-made nation
Thus relieving the Almighty of a dreadful responsibility

Anon

The beginning of the film Laurence of Arabia, 1962, starts with
Peter OToole (playing the lead role) crashing his motor bike;
bringing to an end the life of an amazing soldier, who arguably
developed the art of modern irregular warfare (refer to his
autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, 1922, private publication).
If a film were ever to be made about Robert Blair Mayne (many actors
such as Stephen Boyd and more recently Liam Neeson have
apparently shown an interest in playing the part of BM), then it would
also probably start with the tragic end of his life. In the early
morning of 14
th
December 1955 Robert Blair Mayne managed to crash
10

his car into the back of an unlit lorry, and then into a telegraph pole,
on his way home in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland.
The impact broke his neck. The inquest held in the Ards hospital on
Wednesday night, 14
th
December 1955, returned an open verdict. The
inquest was reported in the Newtownards Chronicle. The funeral took
place two days later on the Friday.

An account of BMs achievements were summarised by Philip
Warner, in his authoritative book The Special Air Service, 1971,
Wm Kimber. Maynes exploits were often so devastating that
accounts of them may appear to exaggerate. He seemed to have a
charmed life, but possibly some part of his luck was his amazingly
quick reaction. Those who fought with him and knew him well said
that he was born in the wrong century. In the distant past he would
have been one of the great warrior kings whose exploits in battle are
thought to have been exaggerated by the chroniclers, a man who
wielded weapons which no one else could handle, who inspired
devotion in his followers and who was renowned for his intellect and
culture. Accounts of such supermen Charlemagne, de Courcy,
Godfrey of Bouillion, Richard I, Edward IV are often dismissed as
exaggerations, but not by those who went to battle with Mayne, or
even watched his performance in the boxing ring or Rugby football
field.

Three other books have previously been written about BM. A
Bibliography is given in Appendix 1. On Sunday 10
th
February 1985
a programme on Radio 4 was aired entitled Other Mens Flowers.
[1.1] The programme was a prelude to a book about BM entitled
Rogue Warrior of the SAS. One particular review in a newspaper
article, entitled The dark side of a courageous man, which appeared
in the Financial Times on 16
th
February 1985, was quite critical about
the picture the authors Roy Bradford and Martin Dillon had portrayed
of BM. The reporter stated that, .it seems odd of Roy Bradford to
have assembled a programme that reveals so many faults in his hero.
After the war BM was made Secretary of the Incorporated Law
11

Society of Northern Ireland. In conclusion the reporter stated that,
the implication seems to be that courage may belong to bad as well
as good, as anyone who fought against the Germans will know. Or
perhaps it means that courage is less valuable than sobriety, discipline,
sportsmanship and honesty. We might have got a better idea if wed
been told what sort of a secretary he made for the Law Society of
Northern Ireland.

Some light (even though perhaps subjective rather than objective) may
be shone on this topic by referring to one of BMs many obituaries
which appeared in The Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, May
1956. (The entire obituary appears in Chapter 6 of this book.) The
transition from the limitless battlefield to the confines of a council
chamber and library was not without its pains. In this new world of
filing cabinet, memorandum and minute book he had to learn that
results could not be achieved by swift and direct action, and that many
goals could be reached by patient progress through orderly procedure.
Those great hands which so skilfully handled the gun, the grenade and
other weapons of death found the pen less easy to wield than the
sword. Often in the humdrum of daily routine, the tingle and stab of
recollection brought him back to the vast eternity of the desert, the
battlefields of Sicily and Italy, the wooded valleys of France, the lairs
of the Maquis. Small wonder that on occasions he would fain have
shaken off the trammels of this ordered conventional world. But the
adjustment took place never indeed completely, but helped greatly
by the return to the profession of many who had served in the war and
who in some measure were faced with similar problems to his own.
To these he gave all assistance in his power, especially to those whose
studies had been interrupted by the conflict:.in the legal
profession he will be remembered as a beloved friend and brother.

Its obvious that after the war, concern for BM was recognized by his
colleagues. The reference to .on occasions he would fain have
shaken off the trammels of this ordered conventional world. may
have referred to a hidden message about the kind of high jinks and
12

scraps he got himself into (often involving the law itself) when on a
bender with his friends. More interestingly, however, is the
reference made to the kind of help he gave members of the profession,
in adjusting to normality after the war. This reflected a concern he
had for fellow comrades who had survived the tragic events of the
war. One of his fellow Ulstermen, who fought with BM, was Billy
Hull. He had driven BM around in the later part of the war, and was
one of the soldiers who uncovered the horrors of one of the first
concentration camps to be discovered, on the western front, at Belsen.
They spent much time together after the war and BM helped Billy
settle into civilian life. It must have been a cathartic experience for
himself to help others, but there seemed to have been no one, outside
of his family, who could help him deal with his own problems.

At the beginning of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, it is well known that
Lt. Col. Tim Collins was praised for his famous battle address to his
men. An article in the Sunday Telegraph, 23
rd
March 2003, entitled
Good soldiers need not be the dogs of war, referred to his speech.
The essence of the reporters message was that soldiers could be
encouraged to fight a just cause ..with honour and humanity.,
without appealing to their baser sentiments. The reporter then
mentioned that .naturally, military mythology especially British,
prefers the image of the honourable warrior. The Royal Irish base
camp is named after Blair Mayne, the legendary Irish SAS man who
won the DSO and three bars in the Second World War. He was also
probably a certifiable psychopath, a killing machine of precisely the
kind that Col. Collins wouldnt tolerate in his battalion. His
murderous ferocity was no doubt useful during a war for national
survival, it is obsolete today as a halberd.

The reporter seemed to miss the obvious point that, if Tim Collins
wouldnt tolerate (BM) in his battalion, then why on earth did Tim
Collins honour BM, by naming his base camp after his fellow Ulster
hero.

13

Out cry at this unfounded comment was led by one of BMs own men.
In a letter to the Sunday Telegraph dated 30
th
March 2003, entitled
Mayne was a hero, not a psychopath, Roy Close stated that ..to
describe Paddy Mayne as a killing machine and probably a
certifiable psychopath is a shameful slur on a gallant soldier and very
brave leader who fought the enemy energetically without regard for
his own life, yet whose care for the men under his command was
legendary, a man who carried books of poetry with him on his
campaigns, a slur of which the reporter should be thoroughly
ashamed.

This message was reinforced by the Regiments own padre, the Rev.
J. Fraser McLuskey (author of Parachute Padre see Bibliography).
In his address at BMs funeral, in 1955, the Rev. stated that Colonel
R. B. Mayne, D.S.O., who lived through some of the wars most
amazing exploits, died this week in a road accident near his home in
Northern Ireland.when, in due course, he became C.O., he was
idolized by his men. More than that he was both loved and trusted
by them in a unique degree. You see, his men knew how much he
cared for them. Careless for his own safety, he was very jealous for
theirs. Risks there had to be, but everyone knew that if Paddy
authorized a venture, it must be well worthwhile and worth the risks
involved. Everyone knew that Paddy would be in it, too there with
the men he loved, where the going was toughest, and the danger
greatest. Paddy did more than send others he went himself, too.
The full transcript of the service is given in Chapter 6.

The author had the honour of been invited to a 1
st
SAS reunion at
Hylands House, Essex, England (see Chapter 4) reported in the Essex
Chronicle on 29
th
April 2004. It was a real privilege to have shaken
hands with some of the men who had originally served with BM. It
was brought home to the author how much they respected him.
Although BM was an unorthodox officer, he knew how to get the best
from his men, and he was a kind of talisman for them. They always
felt safe in his presence. One of his men, Sid Payne, described how
14

being part of the Special Raiding Squadron (see the book Paddys
Men by Stewart McLean) was a bit like going on a cruise in the
Mediterranean, on the ship the Ulster Monarch. Discipline was very
relaxed. It was during the raid on Sicily that BM received his first bar
to his DSO on 10-12
th
July 1943. At the reunion, Roy Close explained
to the assembled audience, including the Mayor and Mayoress of
Chelmsford, how BM one night sent the men out on an attack and
evasion exercise around the park. As Roy was hiding behind a tree,
BM crept up behind him and placed a large hand on his shoulder, and
in a droll manner, told him that he needed a bit more practice.

The author went to University in 1979 (six years studying engineering
at Imperial College, South Kensington) the year Airy Neave, Lord
Mountbatten and the Paras (at Warren Point) were all blown up by the
IRA. Whilst at Imperial three things occurred. The Iranian Embassy
(which backed onto the students accommodation [1.2]) siege came to
a successful conclusion. This was the first time the press had a chance
to record the modern SAS in action. Secondly, the Falklands War
took place. Apparently, more members of the SAS have committed
suicide, most likely due to post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, since
the war, than were killed in action; see for example For Queen and
Country 2003, by Nigel Ely or Killing Zone 1995 by Harry
McCallion. Finally, at this time the IRA were targeting soft British
Army targets on the mainland. The Horse Guards were blown up as
they came out of their barracks into Hyde Park. Several men and
horses were killed. The IRA had sunk to new levels of depravity,
because it is well known that Irish people love horses. The Royal
Green Jackets Band in Regents Park were also attacked on the same
day. The author was also in the Lyric Theatre, King Street, the night
(2
nd
December 1980) they let off a bomb down the road in
Hammersmith (Princess Louise Kensington Barracks injuring five
people). During this time they also let off a bomb outside Harrods, a
stones throw from the Special Forces Club in Knightsbridge, and they
blew up the Conservative conference in Brighton, nearly killing
Margaret Thatcher. [1.3]
15


When the author was only fourteen his sister tragically committed
suicide, after being diagnosed, and suffering for three agonizing years,
with schizophrenia. This was sparked off by the sudden death of her
grandmother Molly Mayne and also the death in a road traffic incident
of a favourite cousin of hers, at the time of the unveiling of a Royal
British Legion plaque, see later in November 1972, to honour BM. As
a result, the author suffered PTSD, at the time unrecognized, and went
on to develop bipolar disorder [1.4] as he got older. A similar
precedent occurred in BMs life with the tragic accidental death of his
eldest brother Tom, on 28
th
May 1935 [1.5], when he was in his late
teens. This inevitably cast a shadow on his own mental development,
and the author believes, like many other gifted heroes (Alexander the
Great, Lawrence of Arabia, Oliver Cromwell) that he also suffered
from bipolar disorder as he got older. This accounted for his dark
moods, and also his moments of exhilaration, when nothing seemed to
go wrong.

He came, as many Ulster (in particular County Down) sporting heroes
do, (Glenn Ross, Mike Bull, Joey Dunlop, Mary Peters, Eddie Irvine,
Pat Jennings, George Best, Martin ONeill, David Healy and Rory
McIlroy to name but a few) from a driven family that accepted only
excellence. His father William Mayne was a champion cyclist. His
immense strength of course helped, but the Ulster competitive spirit of
no surrender or admit defeat to no one, carried him to the top of his
chosen sport, which was rugby. The fact that he was also the all
Ireland Universities heavy weight boxing champion was another
feather in his cap. Unfortunately, he would often mix the two sports,
by using his boxing skills on the rugby field. But it is said that he
only ever reacted in retaliation, and the other players appreciated his
presence, if any kind of rough stuff kicked off.

In 1938 BM was chosen along with several other Irish men to play for
the British Isles (including a fellow Ulsterman, the Captain Sammy
Walker) against South Africa. The players were told to try to impress
16

the South Africans, because the British wanted the support of SA, in
case war broke out with Germany. The tour was a great success. So
much so, that the South African Springboks claimed that the British
played like lions, coining the phrase the British Lions.

We have three letters which survived from that tour, which BM wrote
firstly to his eldest sister Molly, and then to his only niece, at that
time, Margaret.

Letter to Molly from South Africa 1938

On headed paper of
Arthurs Seat Hotel, Sea Point, Cape Town
Undated


Dear Molly,

I was very glad to get your letter & also cards from your
family, I will answer them by next mail, I have no time now as I am
just going into dinner.

I am feeling stiff today as I was playing hard yesterday,
Sammy Walker may not be able to play as he came off a cropper &
bruised himself. We were out at an ostrich farm the day before
yesterday thousands of birds, Oudsthorn the town we were at is the
centre of the industry.

We have a hard game tomorrow, about the toughest game we
will have, we will win with a bit of luck.

Well thanks again for your letter, I must go & eat now

Love
Blair
17



First letter to Margaret from South Africa 1938

On headed paper of Union-Castle Line, R-M-M-V Stirling Castle


Monday, 6
th
June
DEAR MARGARET,

YOU WOULD CERTAINLY ENJOY YOURSELF OUT THERE,
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS, STAGS, ANTELOPES,
ELEPHANTS IN FACT EVERYTHING THAT RUNS ON FOUR
LEGS. AND IN THE TOWNS THERE ARE SOME AWFULLY
AMUSING PEOPLE. IVE SEEN COAL BLACK WOMEN
WALKING UP THE STREETS WITH WEE HAPPY LOOKING
BABIES STRAPPED TO THEIR BACKS AND A LOAD OF
WASHING BALANCED ON THEIR HEADS, IT IS REALLY
WONDERFUL THE WAY THEY CAN BALANCE THINGS,
THEY DONT SEEM TO PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THEIR
LOAD, JUST WALK ALONG CHATTERING AWAY.

IN CAPETOWN I SAW A SNAKE CHARMER, AN OLD, OLD
MAN WITH A WHITE BEARD & A TURBAN WOUND ROUND
HIS HEAD, HE PLAYED ON HIS PIPE AND THE SNAKE
WEAVED AND DANCED TO AND FRO.

HE WAS ALSO A WONDERFUL CONJUROR. I WATCHED HIM
VERY CLOSELY AND I COULDNT SEE HOW ON EARTH HE
DID HIS TRICKS. THEY SEEMED LIKE BLACK MAGIC.

BY THE WAY, MAGGIE, MY GIRL I AM PRINTING THIS IN
ORDER THAT YOU CAN READ IT YOURSELF, AND IF I HEAR
OF YOU GETTING YOUR DADDY TO READ IT TO YOU
18

THERE WILL BE A BIG ROW AND I WILL TIE YOUR EARS
TOGETHER WHEN I COME HOME.

I SENT YOUR BROTHER A CARD FROM MADEIRA. TELL
HIM I EXPECT A REPLY, IN HIS OWN WRITING. MY
ADDRESS IS.

British Rugby Football Team
c/o South African Rugby Football Board,
Box 2336,
Capetown.

Dont forget to put your curls in at night.

Second letter On headed paper of
Arthurs Seat Hotel, Sea Point, Cape Town


Undated
Dear Margaret,

Thanks awfully for your letter, it has just arrived in time, we
are leaving in a couple of hours. I have just come back from the
Athlone Castle. I was down having some stuff that I couldnt get into
my case. I have a nice cabin with a port hole. I hope that there are no
mice or rats in it or that there are no tigers or lions from the jungle
hiding under the bed, & wouldnt it be awful if a whale came through
the port hole some night, it would probably make the place all damp.

Well I hope you are not working too hard at school, take
things quietly & dont tire yourself and make that mother of yours
help you with the washing & dont do it all yourself.

Tell Corden not to hurt Douglas too much.

19

Love
Blair

Margaret was nine years old when she was corresponding with her
Uncle Blair. She was developing a skill which she continued through
out the war, keeping in touch with her favourite Uncle. Corden was
her younger brother, and Douglas was BMs younger brother. The
letter not only demonstrates his sense of humour, but his reverse-logic
way of looking at things, because Douglas was a lot older than
Corden. This made his behaviour very unpredictable, and few people
understood this side of his character. His remarks were often
misconstrued, leading some to mistrust his motives.

Some years later, May 1942, some of the incidents that took place
during the tour were reported in the Newtownards Chronicle. The
article was entitled Some Stories of Blair Mayne, and was based on
an article under the heading of Olympians Sports Gossip, taken
from The Star, Johannesburg, Transvaal, of 26
th
February. The
article, The Star was prompted by the fact that BM had, a few
months earlier, passed through Cape Town with his unit, and had
looked up some old rugby friends.

Extracts from the article include the following, ..It takes a good
man to win the D.S.O. as a junior officer. And that is exactly what
BM is..BM had all the characteristics of a fearless soldier. He is
one of the few heavy forwards I have known really to win the whole-
hearted respect of the Springboks when he played against them during
the last series of Rugby Tests. Maynes 210lb. of rawboned Irish
energy, combined with the speed of a deer, made him a formidable
opponent on the rugger field. He played lock in all the important
games of the tour, but I would not like to say he was a great lock
forward. Nevertheless, he had such tireless qualities of energy and
determination that he was worth his place in any team. Tank van
Rooyen, of the 1921 Springbok side, was such another. Blair Mayne
had his own ideas on rugger. He regarded the playing of the game as
20

more important than the result, and loved the physical contact of play.
I remember once discussing forward play with him at the time the
British pack was inclined to be loose. The ball was no sooner out than
Blair was at the head of the hunt. I suggested that as a lock forward
he would do better if he continued to hold and support his front
rankers instead of running all over his flank forwards in his fiery
endeavours to get out of the scrum. An why, he retorted dourly,
dont you think I should play in the game. The article then went on
to recount the famous buck incident, as follows:

The big Irishman had eccentric habits. He was sometimes inclined to
turn night into day. There was an occasion at Bloemfontein when,
following a dance, in the early hours of the morning Blair thought he
would like a stroll along the deserted streets. The next we saw of him
was near mid-day, when he walked into the hotel, a queer apparition
carrying a buck on his shoulder, his dress suit looking as if he had
scrambled through quite a number of barbed-wire fences. His story
was that he had fallen in with some game hunters at a night coffee
stall and had accompanied them to a farm some distance off, where he
had shot the buck with a borrowed rifle. [1.6] (We hear that Blair
finished off the evening by placing the buck in the bed of Sammy
Walker, the Captain of the British team.-Editor N. Chron.) Mayne
had full measure of Irish wit and imagination. Seated opposite him in
a train travelling through the bleak frostburnt veld, he was comparing
the desolate scene with the lush beauty of the Irish country-side.
South Africa has an ugly face, he remarked. That must be to
conceal her riches under the surface.


[1.1] The name given to Lord Wavells personal anthology of verse, and carried by
BM himself during the war years.

[1.2] In the newspaper of the Imperial College Union Felix dated 2
nd
May 1980, it
was reported that Iranian college students offered themselves to replace hostages.
Police marksmen were placed on student accommodation, (Weeks Hall) and students
sang God Save the Queen in demonstration against Ayatollah Khomeini in Hyde
Park. Only the week before officers from the Special Patrol Group were interviewing
21

students, as witnesses of the shooting of a Libyan outside Weeks Hall in Ennismore
Gardens. The murder happened two weeks after the killing at Regents Park mosque
of another Libyan outspoken critic of Colonel Gadaffi.

[1.3] For further IRA atrocities carried out on the UK mainland see House of
Commons Hansard Written Answers 4
th
March 1996. Part 13, terrorist incidents.

[1.4] Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, involves the experience
of mood swings from extremes of euphoria to severe depression. The condition can
be controlled these days through prescribed drug intervention. The drugs help to
suppress dopamine in the brain. High doses of the drugs therefore cause the body to
shake, which becomes uncontrollable, under stress, similar to the symptoms
experienced by Parkinsons disease sufferers. People with high levels of natural
dopamine are often adrenalin junkies, craving for example, extreme sport
experiences.

[1.5] Tom was 32. In his obituary it was reported that, he was an athlete, a
sportsman and a thorough gentleman, the figure of Tom Mayne will be sadly missed
from amongst us. At the inquest into his death a verdict of accidental death was
returned. Death resulted from haemorrhage and laceration following a gunshot
wound accidentally received.

[1.6] Even before BM joined the army he was a crack shot. During his time with the
11
th
Scottish Commandos, he and his friend Eoin McGonigal were assigned to run the
firing range.
22

Chapter 2

The Desert Campaign

Scott, In the city there are always reflections, and in the country
there are always noises.
Curtis, What about the desert?
Scott, You dont wanna go in the desert.

Quotation from the film Spartan, 2004, with Val Kilmer

BM was mentioned in dispatches for his part in the Litani river
operation, in June 1941, in Syria against the Vichy French. This was
important because a soldier was not eligible for a Distinguished
Service Order (D.S.O.), until they had already been officially
recognized for bravery. Shortly afterwards, BM joined David Stirling
and Jock Lewes to help set up the SAS brigade, known then as L
detachment. An excellent description of this time is given in Lorna
Almonds Millers book about her father Major Jim Almonds, see
Bibliography. Gentleman Jims first contact with BM was when
they were exercising, playing rugby, leaving a memorable impression
on him. BM helped to get Almonds back into the SAS after he
returned from being captured, and later helped him get his
commission as an officer.

The first attempted raid behind enemy lines was a disaster, with the
men parachuting into a desert storm on the night of 17
th
November
1941. Over 50% of the men were tragically lost (including BMs
fellow Ulsterman and close friend, Eoin McGonigal, who died on 18
th

November aged 20, landing in the desert). Only 21 men returned out
of 54. Serious lessons were learnt. The Long Range Desert Group had
arranged to pick up the SAS, after the operation. In future, they
offered to take them behind enemy lines, instead of parachuting in,
and then collect them afterwards.

23

BM was the officer in charge of the first successful raid on a German
Airfield, at Tamet near Sirte, on the North African coast between
Tripoli and Benghazi. For this action BM was awarded his first DSO.
The citation read as follows:

The Distinguished Service Order

Lieutenant Robert Mayne (87306)
The Royal Ulster Rifles

At Sirte on 12
th
/13
th
December, 1941, Lieutenant Mayne was
instrumental in leading and succeeded in destroying, with a small
party of men, many aeroplanes, a bomb dump and a petrol dump. He
led this raid in person and himself destroyed and killed many of the
enemy.
The task set was of the most hazardous nature, and it was due
to the officers courage and leadership that success was achieved.
This officers skill and devotion to duty cannot be too highly rated.

The DSO was published in the London Gazette on 20
th
February 1942.
Notice that no mention of the fact that he was assigned to the SAS
was recorded, possibly for security reasons.

Referring back to the same Newtownards Chronicle article of May
1942, which was mentioned in Chapter 1, entitled Some Stories of
Blair Mayne, the DSO is also mentioned. Newtownards people
were mighty pleased when they learned that he (BM) had been
awarded the D.S.O. and was mentioned in dispatches, but, as one
Ardsman who recently returned after a couple of years service in the
Middle East said to us Blair Mayne has done enough to earn for him
a whole string of decorations.

BM and his men spent the next year continually harassing the Italians
and Germans well behind their front line, causing considerable
damage to aircraft and supply lines. He was able to keep grounded,
24

however, by managing to keep up a correspondence with members of
his family. His niece Margaret, in particular, continued to send letters
throughout the desert campaign. The following letters home to Ulster,
demonstrate how BM was able to give great attention (a necessary
diversion to keep level headed) to what seemed to be minor incidents
in the broader picture of the events (involving death and destruction)
that he was involved in.

The first message published here is a simple Middle East Force Xmas
card, to his niece, sent just before the first raid.


Christmas Greetings card 14
th
Nov 1941

Special Air Service Bde
M.E.F. (Middle East Force)


Picture of
Santa on victory camel, see page 49,

Christmas Greetings
From Blair M.E.F.

Thanks awfully for your letter I hope you and Bill have a very
pleasant Xmas.

To Margaret
Massey Park
Stormont
Belfast
Ireland

Its interesting to note that BM addressed Belfast as being in Ireland
rather than Northern Ireland. But it has to be remembered that even
25

now the Irish rugby team includes (as in hockey and golf) players
from North and South of the border. He came from Ulster, but
apparently had no problem with been referred to as Irish, or even
being called Paddy.

The following letter home to his niece in January 1942, occurred at a
particularly difficult time for the Brigade, because the co-founding
officer Jock Lewes was killed, at the end of December 1941. Of
course no mention of this was made. Also, all letters home were
heavily censored, to make sure no operational details were included,
by mistake.

Letter to Margaret from SAS, MEF 20
th
January 1942


S.A.S. Bde

C.T.C.

M.E.F.

20/1/42

Dear Margaret

I was awfully pleased to get your letter and Xmas card. There
were two waiting for me to-day and I had some from you last time I
got back.

Is your birthday in April? I seem to remember it is, at any
rate I sent you a present home. I had it posted yesterday so it should
arrive about then, if you dont like it, it will always do for washing
dishes.

26

A horrible Khamsin (sand storm) blowing today, you cant
see anything outside and sand is everywhere. We have fried sand for
breakfast, grilled sand for lunch and cooked sand for dinner. I slept
with one hand holding on to the tent pole last night in case I should
blow away.

How is string keeping? A long time since he wrote to me, has
he joined the home guard yet?

I must go for my grilled sand. I see my camel is waiting to
take me over.

Thank your ma (mother) for her letters. Your writing is much
better than hers, spelling much the same both atrocious.

Love
Blair

Again his sense of humour shines through concerning the sand food.
String was his nick name for Margarets younger brother Corden, and
of course the reference to him joining the home guard, was yet another
joke.

The next letter demonstrates the fun he had with a play on words. In
this letter the words catfish and band, came in for analysis. By now
Margaret was coming up to her thirteenth birthday, which incidentally
fell on 14
th
March.

Letter to Funnyface from SAS, MEF 6
th
February 1942


S.A.S. Bde

C.T.C.
27


M.E.F.

6.2.42

Dear Funnyface

You are an awfully stupid person thinking that kitten of Miss
McDermott is an ordinary cat, no cats like water, it must be a catfish,
what you want to do is to get a large bowl, fill it up to the top with
water and put the catfish in, possibly you would be better with a large
brick on the top of the bowl, the catfish is probably a very good
swimmer. Get Douggie to help you next time hes on leave.

I got another post card from you yesterday, you wrote it on
26
th
of January so it came out very quickly.

I am surprised to hear you are getting a band in your mouth.
You must have grown a lot since I last saw you, but still I cant see
how you can possibly get more than one or two instruments in, if you
must have music I would have thought a small wireless set would
have been better.

How is string getting on? It is a long time since I had a letter
from him, does he like Cabin Hill? And what about Puppyface
Dowie, is he Captain of Inst. (Royal Belfast Academical Institution)
yet?

I got a letter from your Aunt Babs to-day, also one yesterday
& one from your ma a few weeks ago.

Did I ever thank you & String for your Xmas present, very
useful indeed, thank you.

28

I must go and get dressed, I am going out to eat at the local
Prisoner-of-war camp, not with the prisoners, but with the Doctor who
comes from Dublin.

Must finish, dont forget to let me know how the band plays
& give my best wishes to all your family.

Write and tell that young pup Douglas that it is a long time
since I had any letters from him. Possibly he is spending all his time
lighting his candles.

Funnyface wrote in pencil on the letter

Capt R B Mayne

Middle East Force

Finally, a letter to his ma or mother. At this time a raid on Benghazi
(Operation Snowdrop, 13
th
Sept. 1942, during the main raid on
Tobruk) had just been attempted. The SAS had met with strong
opposition, and BM and his men were lucky to meet up again with the
LRDG.

Letter to Mother from SAS, MEF 27
th
Sept. 1942


S.A.S. Bde

C.T.C.

M.E.F.

27/9/42


29

Dear Mother

I havent written to you since half way through last month,
about seven or eight weeks ago. I got two telegrams sent to you a
couple of days ago. I hope you got them. I sent two in case one got
lost. I hope you werent worrying but after all the nonsense they were
talking on the wireless about our raid, I thought you might.

Since we left our base we must have covered over 5000 miles.
I am still about 800 hundred miles away but we are back to one of our
own ports and I am only waiting for a plane to go back. I hope there
will be plenty of letters for me when I get there, should be after two
months accumulation.

Incidentally I am a Major now, I must develop a red nose and
a pompous manner.

How is your ankle? You must have given it a bad knock, see
and keep fit, there is an off chance that after things settle down a bit &
I get back my squadron running nicely I might get back home to see
you, dont bank on it but it could happen.

A long time ago I sent Daddy a cheque to cover the insurance
he paid for me, did it ever arrive? I dont think he mentioned getting
it.

George Duncan whom Babs knows about is missing. I
believe he is a P.O.W. I had a letter from Mrs McGonigal. I am
awfully sorry for her but she is very plucky soon be a year now since
Eoin was killed.

Not much more. I am perfectly fit & contented & spending
most of the time eating dates.


30

Look after yourselves
Love
Blair

Again this must have been a trying time for BM and the rest of his
men with the anniversary of their first tragic raid looming. But
through this he was still able to joke about having been made a Major.

Both Stirling and BM were annoyed by the way the SAS had been
used during the Tobruk raid. Stirlings strategy of using small groups,
making surprise attacks, deep behind enemy lines had been lost on the
planners of the raid. Their advantage of surprise had been lost
because so many men were involved, and those who returned were
lucky to avoid death or capture.

David Stirling unfortunately got caught just before the end of the
desert campaign trying to link up with the Americans. He made it
known that he wanted BM to take over from him. BM fought hard to
convince Army high command to keep the SAS together as a fighting
unit, although for the time being, it was re-named the Special Raiding
Squadron. See Appendix 2.
31

Chapter 3

Sicily and France

Learning of the Gates family's determination to seek revenge,
Joey dismisses the threat, saying that the Gates family (Hill Billies
[3.1]), "plow rocks for a living." John (Mafia Don) responds,
"That's what they said about 'our' people back in Sicily."

Quote from the film, Next of Kin, 1989, with Patrick Swayze.


BM won his first DSO in action in North Africa, the first bar to his
DSO in Sicily, second bar in France and third bar in Germany. After
the war the French Government also awarded him the Croix de Guerre
and Legion DHonneur. This put him on a par with Audie Murphy,
the most decorated Irish-American soldier of World War II. One of
the advantages they shared was an incredible fast reaction time, as
Audie demonstrated in his cowboy films, after the war.

The citation for his first bar read as follows:

Bar to D.S.O. Captain (Temp. Major) R.B. Mayne
Operation : Sicily. July 10
th
and 12
th
. Major R.B. Mayne carried out
two successful operations.

1
st
. Capture and destruction of battery on Cape Di Porco, the outcome
of which was vital to safe landing of a corps. By nightfall the Raiding
Squadron which he commanded had captured 3 additional batteries,
450 prisoners, as well as killing 2 300 Italians.
2
nd
. Capture and holding of town of Augusta. 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 most valuable stores and equipment was saved from enemy
demolition. In both these operations it was Major Maynes courage,
32

determination and superb leadership which proved the key to success.
He personally led the men from the landing craft, in the face of heavy
machine gun fire, and in the case of Augusta raid mortar fire. By
this action he succeeded in forcing his way to ground where it was
possible to form up and sum up enemy defences.

The first bar to his DSO was published in the London Gazette on 19
th

October 1943.
Bar to DSO
Captain (temp. Major) R.B. Mayne DSO (87306)
Infantry, Belfast.


The Newtownards Chronicle published the following, 20
th
October
1943, under the heading, Gallantry In Sicily Ulster Officers Bar to
D.S.O. . Robert Blair Mayne has been awarded a Bar to the
DSO in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Sicily.
Major Mayne is a son of Mr. [3.2] and Mrs. William Mayne, Mount
Pleasant, Newtownards, and was a solicitor with the firm of T.C.G.
Mackintosh, L.L.B., before enlistment. He was well known as a
Rugby player his original award of the DSO was announced in
February last year at which time he was a lieutenant. One of his
brothers, Lieutenant Douglas Mayne, is serving with the Royal
Artillery.

After the Italian campaign the SAS prepared for D-day by training at
Darvel in Scotland. The secrecy of the regiment was paramount to its
future success, but by now the Germans had a good idea of who was
behind the phantom warriors. Hitler himself issued a command to
kill all SAS men on site.

News of BMs second bar to his DSO didnt start hitting the papers
until the Spring of 1945. So many awards for gallantry were been
made by servicemen at this time that it was taking months for them to
be processed and officially published.
33


The official citation for the second bar to his DSO stated:

Lt-Col. R.B. Mayne DSO has commanded 1
st
SAS Regiment
throughout the period of operations in France.
On 8
th
August 1944, he was dropped to Houndsworth base, located
near Dijon, in order to co-ordinate and take charge of the available
detachments of his Regiment and co-ordinate their activities with a
major Airborne landing which was then envisaged near Paris.
He then proceeded in a jeep in daylight to motor to the Gain base
making the complete journey in one day. On the approach of Allied
Forces, he passed through the lines in his jeep to contact the American
Forces and to lead back through the lines his detachment of twenty
jeeps landed for Operation Wallace. During the next few weeks, he
successfully penetrated the German and American lines on four
occasions in order to lead parties of reinforcements. It was entirely
due to Lt-Col. Maynes fine leadership and example, and his utter
disregard of danger, that the unit was able to achieve such striking
successes.

We will look at the Official Story of the SAS in detail shortly;
however, another letter home to his sister Molly, is quite insightful,
particularly with regards to BMs attitude to any German counter-
attack, the Battle of the Bulge. Again he seems to refer to what some
might regard as mundane things, such as pets, but these things
obviously mattered to him.

Letter to eldest sister Molly dated 3
rd
January 1945

Headed Paper, see page 51.

A.P.O. England 3
rd
January 1945



34

My Dear Molly,

Your letter of 28
th
Nov has just reached me. The post is
normally very much better, I imagine it had probably been lying about
in our own office in England.

I am sorry the pup has given you so much trouble, it is very
good of you to look after it for me. He sounds quite pleasant.

I intend crossing back to the UK shortly & when I get there
hope to manage some leave, it would be pleasant to be home again.

Xmas was amusing enough here, the food was good and we
were able to find unlimited Champagne.

I have more sleeping bags here, I may have given the brown
one to Mother to make a pillow from, but I certainly bought it myself,
when I was in the 5
th
LT it came from the Athletic Stores & if I
remember rightly it cost 30/-. It must have been something else that
mother paid for in R & Cleavers.

Everyone is very confident here & not at all frightened about
the German counter offensives, though it is terribly cold and wet and
uncomfortable, it was snowing and sleeting last night & for the last
fortnight people have been skating.

I have very little news. I have been seeing a lot of my old
closest friends recently, they are all finding this country rather
different and beginning to think that Libyia (BM spelling) was a very
pleasant place.

Give my best wishes to Jimmy and the kids.

Love
Blair
35

In late Aug. 1944 during the liberation of Paris, the National
newspapers at last got their teeth into the story they had probably been
dying to tell, since rumours of the success of the SAS started to
spread, after the desert campaign. The Sunday Express and Sunday
Dispatch ran virtually identical stories. The Sunday Express, head
lines read as, The Story of Britains Most Romantic, Most Daring,
And Most Secret Army. It opened the gates of France to the
American tanks Told Officially for the First Time. The swiftness
of the advance of General Pattons Third Army since his break out of
Normandy has thrilled and astonished the world, and many people
have been puzzled by the lack of effective German resistance. This
disorganisation of German resistance in depth is not an accident, nor
is it due to inefficiency of the Germans. It is part of the result of a
comprehensive British and French campaign, which had been waged
behind the German lines long before the break-through of the main
Army occurred.

The introductory paragraphs in the Sunday Dispatch, ran as
Officially Revealed This Morning The Exciting Story of The S.A.S.
The swiftness of the advance in France has thrilled and astonished
the world. Those who have known active soldiering have, perhaps,
been puzzled by the lack of effective German resistance once a breach
in their lines had been made. But this disorganisation of German
resistance in depth is not an accident. Nor is it due to inefficiency of
the Germans.

The Sunday Express article continued as follows:

In a great measure the success of the breakthrough was due to the
success of this campaign which wrought havoc to German forces in
France from one end of the country to the other. Great credit is due to
the Maquis for these results. The story of these intrepid resisters will
one day be told in full. But there has been another body at work
independently inside France, whose identity until recently has been
36

kept secret a British unit of parachutists called the Special Air
Service, and generally referred to in the army as the S.A.S.

And it is largely due to the panic and chaos which small groups of
specialists have wrought deep behind the enemy lines that the
triumphant advance of the Third Army on to Paris has been made
possible. The following is an official account, issued for publication
this morning, of how the S.A.S. group was started and something of
what they have achieved:-

The S.A.S. was conceived as an idea and created as a fact by two
young officers. Lieutenant David Stirling, Scots Guards and
Commandos, and Lieutenant Jock Lewes, Welsh Guards and
Commandos. Stirling and Lewes preached the doctrine, then
unproved, that small groups of hand picked specialists could operate
with great effect behind enemy lines.

In Africa

About this time, during our darkest days in Africa, the Luftwaffes
ME 109s were causing us serious concern. Convoy, troops, and
A.F.V.s were being strafed and machine gunned with heavy losses,
and we were then unable to check them effectively in the air.
Stirlings faith and drive sold his idea to the Eighth Army G.H.Q., and
he and Lewes started a school in the desert called Stirlings Rest
Camp where the first 73 volunteers from the Eighth and 11
th

Commandos were assembled and put through a curriculum of training
devised by Lewes.

Recruits, officers and men alike, were given identical instructions: the
foundations which a man had to possess or acquire were these:-
1. He must be a parachutist.
2. He must be expert with all kinds of small arms and well
practised in close combat.
3. He must have more than average skill at navigation.
37

4. He must be tough enough to jump off a truck at 30 miles an
hour, and enduring enough to march 100 miles with a heavy
pack.
Above all it was the schools aim to produce individualists. Each man
must be able to face any contingency and make decisions alone. It was
Stirlings ambition that his officers and men should be
interchangeable. Special stress was given to teaching the use of
explosives and night work. Meanwhile the existence of this new unit
was kept officially secret. First operation of the SAS took place on
November 18
th
, 1941, and was directed against the ME 109s of a
German aerodrome. It was a memorable disaster. The SAS jumped
from planes in a 30 m.p.h. wind, just about double the maximum safe
speed, and in torrential rain. They were scattered over an enormous
area, and when the survivors finally got together, after a long march to
meet the Long Range Desert Group, they were found to have lost
about 50 per cent. of their numbers. Whatever happened, Stirling and
Lewes knew that with their second operation they had to succeed or
finish.

To Galio

In December 1941 they flew to Galio, 90 miles south of Benghazi,
and were taken close to their objective by the Long Range Desert
Group, with whom henceforward they were to collaborate closely.
Here, divided into small groups, they surrounded the dromes and
attacked aircraft on the ground and Luftwaffe personnel with success
beyond their most ambitious dreams. Lieutenant Mayne (now
Lieutenant Colonel Mayne, D.S.O. and Bar) personally destroyed 47
planes. In all about 100 aircraft were destroyed in this operation. On
their way back Lewes stopped at a German Army rest house long
enough to disturb the repose of its inmates. The unit which carried
out these exploits was then known as L detachment of the SAS.

By this time, September, 1942 the unit had grown to 300 strong. The
ratio of officers to men was about one to ten. With the exception of
38

30 Frenchmen, who were attached, the personnel of the SAS was
entirely British. Since the spectacular and persistent successes of the
SAS attacks behind the German lines the Boche tried every way of
countering this threat. But, however many sentries they put out, the
SAS seemed to outwit them. On one occasion Lieutenant Mayne,
after putting time bombs under the planes, strolled into the officers
mess of the German coastal battery and dealt with the occupants
before driving away. In the excitement the German gunners fired their
artillery out to sea while our troops were driving off in the opposite
direction.

Wing Sleep

Next, the Germans took to making a man always sleep under the wing
of their stationary planes. But the only difference was that a German
was blown up with each aircraft. Finally, in despair, the Luftwaffe
was forced to station three active sentries by each plane. This
draining on German man-power went on for the rest of the African
campaign. Apart from their first disastrous operation, casualties were
low. The most dangerous time for the SAS was not during an
operation, but on the return journey, when the Luftwaffe sent out
pursuit planes to take revenge on the British buccaneers. But even
then the strain was generally worse on the nerves than on the body.
On one occasion a returning unit was strafed for 8 1/2 hours without
suffering one casualty.

Mayne and Stirling countered these new measures of the Germans by
altering their tactics. Whenever possible they still put their time
pencils and Lewes bombs on the planes. At other times, as on the
attack on the Sidi-Enich drome, near Mersa-Mutra, in which 21 jeeps
were used, they drove round and through the planes in different
formations, strafing them and their guards with incendiary bullets.
During one of these early operations the SAS had the misfortune to
lose Lieutenant Lewes, co-founder with David Stirling, of the unit.
39

He was killed by a chance shot from a German plane on his return
from a job.

Com. Ops.

In September, 1942, the unit took part in a combined operation with
the Navy, Air Force, and other specialist units against the African
coast. The area allotted to the SAS was the town of Benghazi.
Simultaneously the Sudanese Defence Force were to attack Jalo oasis.
The enemy, undoubtedly, made a grave strategical mistake in trying to
hold the SAS outside Benghazi. If they had let them in and then
closed round them in sufficient strength they might have got the lot.
Surprise had been lost, so David Stirling decided to do what he could
quickly and withdraw. It is known that the Germans diverted some of
their most precious mobile units, who hunted the SAS without
success. The rendezvous in the Djebal, however, was discovered from
the air and dive bombed for a whole afternoon. The SAS were next
given the honour of starting the invasion of Sicily. Their task was to
eliminate the coastal batteries [3.3]. They destroyed four batteries and
took 500 prisoners.

Four days later they were landed further up the coast. All the SAS
who took part in this action remember with appreciation the courage
and efficiency of the crew of the ship. The landing was supported by
cruisers, destroyers and gun boats. In storming Fort Augusta they
suffered casualties two killed and three wounded. They were then
re-embarked and landed farther up the coast at Bagnara, where they
took the first German prisoners of the Italian campaign. After that
they were switched to the east coast, where, with a brigade of Special
Service troops, they created a bridgehead.

Expansion

The effectiveness of these operations called for expansions of the unit.
Early in 1943 further units of the SAS were formed from the nucleus
40

of a small force which had been used to raid the coast of France.
Small operations were undertaken in North Africa and Sicily, but the
real chance came when Italy was invaded. Stirlings ideas now came
into full effect in the mountainous and closely-populated country of
Italy, although the first task of the detachment was to act as
reconnaissance for the airborne division which landed at Taranto. The
detachment was thus employed until Termoli was reached, where they
helped a Special Service brigade to fend off the first serious German
counter-attack. For this they received the personal congratulations of
General Montgomery.

There is a story told by an SAS sergeant-major, ex-Coldstream Guards
and Commandos, about an officer of the SAS in Africa who was
strolling along a jetty in Benghazi, his pack filled with bombs, his
intention the destruction of enemy MTBs when a sentry suddenly
came in sight. The sentry failed to challenge him, so he stopped, and
took him to task in Italian for failing in his duty. The sentry protested
that no enemy would be mad enough to stroll about in the heart of
these defences, and any way it was obvious from his bearing that this
gentleman was German officer. The officer, however, would not be
fobbed off with excuses and took the sentrys name. A second sentry
hearing his friend in trouble decided to take no chances of a
reprimand, and marched off in the opposite direction. The regimental
badge of the SAS is a winged dagger bearing the legend Who Dares,
Wins.

It was revealed in later articles about the SAS that in fact the officer
who took the sentry to task was BM. This was just the kind of quick
thinking that was to become a hallmark for a good SAS soldier. The
manner in which BM dispatched with the Germans in the officers
mess, was apparently to become part of text book SAS training too.

In the Sunday Dispatch article additional information was revealed.
During one of the early operations the SAS had the misfortune to
lose Lieutenant Lewes. He was killed by a chance shot from a
41

German plane. Lewes was a man of vision and originality, and was
largely responsible for creating the training methods of the SAS. He
was enormously popular, and his death was an outstanding loss.

As the raids went on, the strength of the German defences grew
proportionately. One airfield in Benghazi was guarded in the north by
a German army unit, and in the south by their Italian allies. Colonel
Mayne succeeded in so confusing both parties that the Germans and
Italians ended by engaging one another in a battle of crossfire across
the field. [3.4] Stirling had a narrow escape when a 22mm shell went
straight through his radiator and engine and finished up under the seat
of his jeep.

During the famous Eighth Army push the SAS were operating behind
the German lines all the way. From then on the policy of the SAS was
determined directly under Montgomery. To meet the need for a link-
up between the First and Eighth Armies they set off to try to break
through. They succeeded, and were the first men to do so. But in the
course of this operation Colonel Stirling, commanding officer, was
taken prisoner. He is still a prisoner of war in Germany.

It is interesting to note that all captured SAS were immediately
removed to Germany, and in no circumstances allowed to remain in
North Africa. In May 1943 the regiment was withdrawn from the
desert, and Colonel Mayne took over command.

Little was disclosed at this time about the operation before and after
D-day in France. That would come later.

[3.1] The Hill Billies are descendants of the Ulster-Scots emigrants (called the Scotch
Irish in the USA) of Northern Ireland; the nick name coming from King William of
Orange.

[3.2] His father actually died on 10
th
January 1943. He was refused leave to attend
his fathers funeral, which is probably the reason that he released his frustrations by
going on the infamous bender, trashing bars and destroying cafes in Cairo.

42

[3.3] Inspiration maybe for the film The Guns of Navarone 1961 and the film
Those Who Dare 1953, set on the Island of Rhodes.

[3.4] Sounds like the inspiration for the famous scene in the film Tobruk, 1967 Rock
Hudson & George Peppard, when the Germans and Italians were tricked into fighting
each other, over the heads of the heroes.



43



Blair Maynes Great-Grandmother Frances ONeill Mayne




Blair Maynes Grandfather Thomas Mayne
44





Blair Maynes Father William and Uncle James Mayne,
who settled in Australia




Blair Maynes name sake Captain Robert Blair, DSO
45



Blair Maynes Mother Madge, youngest brother,
Douglas and eldest sister Molly



Baby Blair Mayne with siblings Tom, Molly,
Barbara, Billy and Francie



Young Molly Tom & Molly
46





Tom Mayne Billy Mayne





Barbara Mayne with BMs
dog, half collie half St. Bernard Blair Mayne
47




Douglas Mayne and his wife Maureen, known to the family as Pat






Blair Mayne as a Junior officer and in full uniform,
shortly before his death at the age of forty
48



Painting of Blair Mayne by Jack Courier, commissioned by his men
three years after his death. This particular illustration was taken from
a Christmas Greetings card, as shown below, inside the card.


49





Sketch of Blair Mayne by his niece Maggie



Greetings card sent home from the desert
50




War propaganda Newspaper Cartoon

51




Souvenir aluminium cutlery taken from an Airfield in the desert by
Blair Mayne. Hall mark used on German Luftwaffe inventory, Flieger
Unterkunft Verwaltung (flight barracks administration)



SAS badge taken from headed paper dated 1945, and
one of Blair Maynes original wings badges

One of Blair Maynes British Lions Rugby Tour badges 1938
52




Blair Mayne Statue, Conway Square, Newtownards, 1997.
On 5
th
July 1993 the IRA exploded a 1500 lb bomb near here



Mayne Family Grave Marker, Movilla Cemetery
53



Alexandra College, Dublin, Blair Maynes niece
Maggie attended here 1945-6



Blair Maynes niece Maggie, far left (Territorial Army Net-Ball team)
The Girdwood Gunner Regimental Magazine March 1949
54




Maggie (the authors Mother) celebrating her 40
th
Wedding
Anni., 14
th
September 1991 Writtle, Essex




The author John, in beret, with his sister Andrea and
cousin Margaret September 1973
55



Photo taken by author at the start of the Iranian Embassy Siege,
30
th
April 1980. An ITN camera, on a crane (top left), is pointing
towards the Embassy



World War II SAS Jeeps on a return visit to Hylands
House, August 1997. The authors eldest son Robert (in front of
sandy-coloured Jeep), was allowed to drive the first Jeep
56



The author with his sons at the Orange Memorial,
beside the Ulster Tower, Thiepval, Somme Valley, 1
st
July 1994




The authors youngest son Philip at the base of the Ulster Tower,
copied from Helens Tower, (in memory of Lady Dufferin)
on the Clandeboye estate, County Down, Northern Ireland
57



Ulster Tower, built as a memorial to the men of the 36
th
Ulster
Division, the only division in the British Army to reach its
objectives on the first day of the battle of the Somme,
1
st
July 1916. The men of the Royal Irish Rifles Regiment
did their basic training on the Clandeboye Estate, before
departing for France. Men who were members of the Orange Order
wore their Orange Lodge Regalia as they went over the top, because
the date, 1
st
July, was historically the date of the Battle of the
Boyne 1690, and therefore an auspicious date for them.
58


Chapter 4

France and Germany

Michelle, Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once.

Quote from the BBC TV Series Allo, allo, 1982 1992.

In the friends of Hylands House (Writtle, the home of Radio and the
BBC, Chelmsford, Essex) newsletter Autumn 1998, it was reported
that on 11
th
November 1944 the regiment was moved to the House,
which now belongs to Chelmsford Borough Council. During the war
the owner was a lady called Mrs Hanbury. She lived in the mansion,
all alone, following the death of her husband, and her only son Pilot
Officer John C. McKenzie Hanbury in Oct. 1939. They are all buried
together in a secret part of the formal gardens. She took an
immediate liking to BM, who provided her with a temporary
substitute son up until the end of the war. Mrs Hanbury wrote to
BMs mother on 28
th
December 1944. In it she stated that the
people of Essex have taken your gallant son to their hearts.

She was one of the few people that BM actually took orders from. On
one famous occasion BM is supposed to have driven a jeep up the
marble stair case, and into a bed room. Mrs Hanbury scolded BM for
his misbehaviour. This episode became part of Hylands House
folklore but no one in the nearby village, Writtle, ever believed it as
more than a tall Irish story. But eyewitness accounts have been
recorded.

Referring back to the Friends of Hylands House Newsletter again,
Major Gordon Mitchell, who was a Corporal at the time, stated that,
There is little doubt that it was the C.O. Paddy Blair Mayne, who did
drive the jeep up the main marble staircase for a bet when he indeed
was scolded by Mrs Hanbury, the owner of the House. He was a most
59

remarkable soldier (DSO and three bars), six times capped Ireland
(Rugger) and was the all Ireland amateur heavyweight boxing
champion. Mrs Hanbury could in fact manage him!

One of the originals Johnny Cooper, in his book, The Story of a
Founder Member of the SAS, gave this version. One unforgettable
night, Paddy Mayne drove a jeep up the marble stairs of Hylands Park
onto the landing and through the massive oak doors. It was left there
with the firm intention of recovering it in the morning. Sobered up
and in full daylight, it proved impossible to get the jeep back through
the doors in spite of the expertise of our best drivers. In the end we
had to take the doors off their hinges, and how Paddy got it up through
two right-angled bends and through the double doors remains a
mystery to this day.

We will hear more from Johnny Cooper during disbandment at the
end of the war.

News of BMs second bar to his DSO wasnt to be reported in the
local paper in Newtwonards, until March 1945. (Only a month later
he would be back in action in Germany, winning his third bar.) We
will look at the very sketchy reports shortly, but before doing that, it is
interesting that even the Readers Digest claimed a scoop on the SAS
by publishing an article in its February 1945 booklet. Confusion is
their business, a coincidental reference to the way BM got the
Germans and Italians fighting each other during the battle near
Benghazi?

Confusion Is Their Business

The story of Paddy Maynes incredibles who create havoc behind the
German lines, here told for the first time.

Weeks before D day in Normandy the crew of an American bomber
dragged themselves out of the wreckage of their crash-landed plane
60

and held a despondent council in a ditch nearby. They knew they
were somewhere in central France, in the heart of German-held
territory. Suddenly the pilot pointed, Am I seeing things, he yelled,
or is that really an Englishman?

A jeep bristling with machine guns and driven by an officer in British
battledress was bearing down on them. Hello, chaps, said the
apparition as the jeep came to a halt. If youve any wounded, wed
best get them to hospital. It isnt far. The fliers goggled with open
mouths. Oh, everythings all right, the Englishman assured them.
Were the Special Air Service behind the German lines, you know.
Glad to have you.

That was their introduction to Britains phantom army and its most
irregular regulars. From El Alamein through North Africa, Sicily,
Italy and France to the German border, these men have written one of
military historys most fantastic chapters. In Africa their parachutists
and jeep-borne commandos struck Nazi airfields 500 miles behind
Rommels front line, destroying more German planes on the ground
than the RAF did in the air. They kept Axis supply lines in an almost
continuous state of disorganization. In the Battle of France they did
the same thing again, on a much larger scale.

The designers of the invasion knew that its success depended in great
measure on preventing the Germans from getting heavy
reinforcements to the beachheads before our armies were securely
planted there. The Tactical Air Force was to do a major part of the
job by bombing key transportation points. But even under the best
circumstances they could not be expected to hit as many targets as the
Allied tacticians wanted knocked out simultaneously. The various
French underground units were very efficient, but they lacked the
unification necessary to guarantee execution of the intricate schedule
of destruction and panic which must synchronize precisely with the
Allied landing and advance. The hardened, experienced super
commandos of the Special Air Service each man expert in close
61

combat, scouting and demolition work were the only outfit for the
job. They were brought up from Italy to tackle their toughest
assignment.

The first SAS parachutists began landing on French soil at night in
groups of two or three long before D Day. With the help of
Frenchmen these reception committees reconnoitred their areas to
find fields where men and supplies could land, and woods and houses
where they could be hidden. When ready they reported to SAS head
quarters over small portable radio transmitters, and the main forces of
the secret invasion began arriving. In a few cases the SAS landing
parties chanced on German patrols and had to fight for their lives. In
general, however, they got down safely with their equipment, also
dropped by chute, which included jeeps, folding motorcycles, machine
guns and other types of light ordnance.

Each party moved frequently, to avoid betrayal by the sympathetic but
incautious population. The men rarely used tents but slept in bags on
the ground around well dispersed jeeps, encircled by outposts on
guard. Everyone had a tommy gun within reach day and night.
According to plan, D Day found the main SAS forces astride the
German communications lines from the Cherbourg peninsula to the
east and south. Each party ranging in size from five or six to 20 or
30 had been exhaustively briefed on railroad, power and telephone
key points and the other installations it was to destroy.

One operations report, typical of hundreds which flowed into SAS
headquarters and were transmitted to SHAEF, told the Allied generals
what German resistance they might expect. Made reconnaissance on
-------(censored) line between kilometers 90 and 92. At 22 hours
neutralized guards at kilometers 90 and placed bombs on both tracks.
At 2212 hours westbound troop train derailed by explosion. Cut
telephone and signal wires. At 2225 hours eastbound train derailed.
Withdrew.

62

Besides demolitions, SAS did other jobs. One was guiding the
Tactical Air Force [4.1]. After TAF bombers hit a railroad bottleneck
one day, an underground scout working for SAS went to assess the
damage. How long will it take you to fix that? he asked a workman.
The burly Frenchman looked long and carefully at the questioner.
Not very long, he replied finally. But half a mile farther up, where
the signal box and switches are, the bombs could have made a real
mess. Shortly thereafter the TAF dropped a stick of bombs in the
right place.

The German Paris command, in a desperate attempt to stamp out the
invisible army, unleashed the Gestapo and the so-called French Militia
auxiliary police recruited from felons and dregs of the population
on a furious reign of terror. Throughout Normandy people remotely
suspected of helping were rounded up by hundreds, tortured for
information and shot. But despite all measures, the SAS and their
helpers continued striking. One of the exploits of Sergeant Chalky is
considered only mildly unusual among the regiments veterans. In the
Morvan district of central France a unit of German soldiers had just
been drawn up at attention in the village square when around a blind
corner tore a jeep containing two British soldiers. It slithered to a halt
and before the Germans knew what happened, one of the men was
running straight at them with a bren gun blazing. The Germans broke
for cover, but not before Sergeant Chalky had littered the street with
gray-clad bodies. Then he and the jeep disappeared around the corner.
He had been instructed to join a larger party in an attack on these
Germans, but when the others failed to show up, he had decided to do
the job himself.

On another occasion a group of 50 encamped in a wood was informed
by a Maquis agent that the Gestapo had learned of their hiding place.
That night 200 German SS troops were to close in from one side and
300 French Militia from the other. The Englishmen should withdraw
at once, the Maquis said. Not at all! replied the commanding
officer. The SS and Militia men attacked at dusk and walked into a
63

hail of bullets. The undergrowth and ditches were alive with machine
gunners. For hours the stalking and shooting went on, until a German
officer discovered that the battle was being waged exclusively by the
SS and Militia. The SAS had long since withdrawn and were busily
raising hell among nearby supply dumps that had been stripped of
their guards. German prisoners and captured documents have since
revealed the extent of the confusion caused by this campaign of
disruption.

Four years of trial by fire have gone into SAS operations. At the
beginning of 1941 the British position in Africa was so desperate that
the Middle East command was willing to listen to the crazy scheme of
two young Brigade Guard lieutenants. David Stirling and Jock Lewes
were obsessed with the idea that small groups of picked men,
carefully trained, could live and wreak havoc far behind the enemys
lines. They talked their way through all opposition to the
commanding general. Stirlings rest camp was set up in a remote
Egyptian wasteland. Volunteers were gathered from the best Middle
East units, and they were taught everything from parachuting to
fieldcraft and Arabic.

Stirlings results were quick and sensational. A German airfield 500
miles behind Rommels front line was bowled over one night by a
squadron of wild men in jeeps who blew up its planes and levelled its
installations in a half hour flat, and vanished into the desert whence
they came. Remote secret German supply dumps in the desert were
located and destroyed. Axis operations along the coastal road were
constantly interrupted and convoys waylaid and annihilated. The
Luftwaffe lost 300 planes in a few months by SAS forays, and was
weakened just when Rommel needed it most for the push into Egypt.
Stirling was finally betrayed by an Arab guide in Tunisia and
Captured by the Germans. Since Jock Lewes had been killed in one
of the early operations, the SAS command went to another natural
leader Paddy Mayne who is still its colonel.

64

This big, craggy-faced Irishman a former amateur Rugby and
boxing star with a gentle brogue and shy smile is much more than a
commanding officer. He is a legend. A favourite story of the SAS
involves the dash board of a Messerschmitt 109 which came from the
40
th
plane the Colonel himself destroyed in a single nights raid on a
German airfield. He had planted his last bomb on the 39
th
. When he
got to the 40
th
by that time the Germans were really shooting he
climbed into the Messerschmitt, and with the titanic strength he
displays in such berserk moods, tore the dashboard out with his bare
hands and waved it triumphantly over his head as he retired in a jeep.

During the Normandy campaign, Colonel Mayne operated behind the
German lines around Le Mans, a key communications point. When
Cherbourg fell, SAS men moved northward and eastward to help
prepare the way for the drives of Montgomery and Patton. On the
Paris-Amiens line alone the vitally important main line from Paris to
the coast they wrecked almost 50 trains, blew a dozen bridges and
totally disrupted communications. Montgomery, who had thanked
them officially in North Africa, thanked them again after the Battle of
France even more enthusiastically. And they may in the future be
thanked yet again. For Paddy Maynes incredibles are still going
strong. Where and how is a story yet to be told.

In a Newtownards Chronicle article in March 1945, a report entitled,
Red Hand [4.2] in the Foray

Liet. Colonel Robert Blair Maynes second bar to his DSO is a
reminder of the splendid record of the secondary schools of Northern
Ireland in this war and of Rugbymen in particular. Four Belfast
schools alone, Inst., Campbell, Methody, and the Academy have
between them over 3,500 old boys in the Forces, and Bangors 234 is
evidence that the smaller provincial schools have magnificent records
of voluntary service [4.3] too in the front of the battle. The DSO and
two bars is no common distinction, and Regent House School and the
people of the Ards can be justly proud of Mayne. When Sam
65

Walkers Lions visited South Africa before the war he was assessed
by experienced judges as the equal of any British forward ever seen in
the Union. Red hand in the foray, all the Ulstermen in that side
were soon in uniform. Mayne was near Bob Alexander, of the long,
raking stride, when he fell with the Inniskillings at Termoli, leaving a
cheerful memory.This tall, spare man from the Ards won the
command of Britains most secret regiment through his courage.

The following extract was taken from the Newtownards Chronicle of
March 1945. Heading, Ards Mans Third DSO Award. Most Secret
Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Blair Mayne, who has been
awarded a second Bar to the DSO for gallantry in North-West Europe,
is a son of Mr. and Mrs. William Mayne, Mount Pleasant,
Newtownardsit was announced last September that Lieut.-
Colonel Mayne was the commanding officer of the Special Air
Service, Britains most secret regiment, which was dropped by
parachute behind the German lines and has been striking hard at
enemy communications since D-Day. Helped by the Maquis, he set
up headquarters for his army of 200 and harassed troop and supply
columns, wrecking more than 1,000 trucks.

As has already been mentioned, no sooner than BM was being
officially recognized for his second bar, than he was in action again.
The citation for his third bar follows:

Third Bar to the Distinguished Service Order

Lieutenant-Colonel (temporary) Robert Blair Mayne (87306) D.S.O.
1
st
Special Air Service Regiment, Army Air Corps.

On Monday, 9
th
April 1945, Lieutenant-Colonel Mayne was ordered
by the General Officer Commanding, 4
th
Canadian Armoured
Division, to lead his Regiment (then consisting of two Armoured Jeep
Squadrons) through the British lines and infiltrate through the German
lines. His general axis of advance was North East towards the city of
66

OLDENBURG, with the special task of clearing a path for the
Canadian armoured cars and tanks, and also causing alarm and
disorganisation behind the enemy lines. As subsequent events proved,
the task of Lieutenant-Colonel Maynes force was entirely and
completely successful. This success however was solely due to the
brilliant military leadership and cool calculating courage of
Lieutenant-Colonel Mayne, who, by a single act of supreme bravery,
drove the enemy from a strongly held key village, thereby breaking
the crust of the enemy defences on the whole of this sector.

The following is a detailed account of Lieutenant-Colonel Maynes
individual action, which called for both unsurpassed heroism and cool
clear-sighted military knowledge:-

Lieutenant-Colonel 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 he was in full view of the enemy and
exposed to fire from small arms, machine guns, snipers rifles and
panzerfausts.

On arrival he summed up the situation in a matter of seconds and
entered the nearest house alone (house C) and ensured that the enemy
here had either withdrawn or been killed. He then seized a Bren gun
and magazines and single-handed fired burst after burst into the
second house (house D) killing and wounding all the enemy here and
also opening fire on the wood (F). He then ordered a jeep to come
forward and take over his fire position, he himself returning to the
forward section where he disposed the men to the best advantage and
ordered another jeep to come forward. He got in the jeep and with
another officer as rear-gunner drove forward past the position where
the squadron Commander had been killed a few minutes previously
and continued to a point a hundred yards ahead, where a further
section of jeeps were halted by intense and accurate enemy fire. This
67

section had suffered casualties in killed and wounded owing to the
heavy enemy fire and the survivors were unable at the time to
influence the action in any way until the arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel
Mayne. He then continued along the road all the time engaging the
enemy with fire from his own jeep. Having swept the whole area very
thoroughly with close-range fire, he turned his jeep round and drove
back again down the road, still in full view of the enemy. By this time
the enemy had suffered heavy casualties and were starting to
withdraw. Nevertheless they maintained an accurate fire on the road
and it appeared almost impossible to extricate the wounded who were
in the ditch near the forward jeeps. Any attempt at rescuing these men
under these conditions appeared virtually suicidal owing to the highly
concentrated and accurate fire of the Germans.

The award was not published in the London Gazette, until well after
the end of the war, on 11
th
October 1945. The complete citation was
reproduced in the Newtownards Chronicle.

Another article entitled, Fourth DSO Award to Lt-Col. R. B. Mayne
stated that, The King has approved the immediate award of the third
bar to the DSO to Lieut.-Colonel Robert Blair Mayne, DSO, 1
st

Special Air Service Regiment, Army Air Corps, in recognition of
gallant and distinguished services in North-West Europe.

In their book, Rogue Warrior of the SAS, Dillon and Bradford, went
into considerable detail analyzing the fourth DSO award. At the time
a VC was originally put forward, but it was down graded to a third
Bar. The official reason was that two senior officers needed to be
present, to witness the event. In summary they suggested that if an
application for a VC, had been made on the basis of an accumulation
of outstandingly brave operations, the VC may have been awarded. A
precedent for this was set during World War I, for example, this is
how Royal Flying Core Ace James McCudden received his VC.

68

After the war, BM was presented to King George at Buckingham
Palace. It is said that the King enquired as to how, at Oldenburg, the
Victoria Cross had so strangely eluded him. In reply BM apparently
stated that, I served to my best my Lord, my King and Queen and
none can take that honour way from me. This was typical of BMs
attitude after the war. He really wanted no unnecessary recognition
for his actions, and this will be examined further in the next Chapter.

As promised we now return to Johnny Coopers book again, to shed
further light on BMs sense of fun, at the end of the war. Cooper
stated that, Another high spirited occasion was when Paddy told the
adjutant to ring up the Chelmsford Fire Brigade and tell them to send
an engine to Hylands Park as we had a problem. The brigades first
reaction, quite naturally, was to assume that we had a fire, so they sent
the fire chief and a full crew. When they arrived in front of the main
steps, all the mess waiters were lined up with trays of drinks. One of
the firemen must have cunningly called back to their base to say that
the SAS were having a farewell party, because soon we had the entire
Chelmsford force sitting on the steps supping their ale. Thank
goodness there were no fires that evening!

He continued. By mid-September 1945 it was quite clear that the two
British regiments of the SAS were to be disbanded. The French and
the Belgians returned home to be reintegrated into their own armies.
Lady Hanbury visited us to say how sorry she was to see us go and
that our unit was to be folded up. There was, however, a final parade
prior to our leaving to rejoin our original branches of the service. The
whole Regiment was drawn up, squadron by squadron, in front of the
main house, with Paddy Mayne out in front. He proudly wore his
sand-coloured desert beret [4.4] while the rest of us sported the dark
red Airborne headgear. Montgomery came to say farewell to us, and
to many it might have seemed that the history of the SAS had been a
brief but glorious one. I little thought at the time that I would become
so deeply involved with the Regiment in the future.

69


[4.1] This sounds like a familiar role of the SAS even today.

[4.2] Refers to the Red Hand of the ONeills, which is a symbol of the original nine
counties of Ulster, and is used by both sides of the community.

[4.3] There was no conscription in Ireland during either World War, and even though
Eire remained neutral during the war, thousands of Irishmen, from the South
volunteered to fight with their cousins from the North.

[4.4] Many believe BM wore his sand-coloured beret just to irritate Monty. This
was his last chance to counter a commandment from the top. It was High Command,
after all, who tried to disband the SAS after the desert campaign.
70

Chapter 5

The creation of folklore

The truth becomes a story. A story becomes a legend. A legend
becomes part of folklore.

William: Sons of Scotland! I am William Wallace.
Soldier 2: William Wallace is seven feet tall?

Quote from the film Braveheart, 1995, with Mel Gibson.


By the end of the war, news of BMs exploits had travelled to
newspapers on the other side of the world. A letter from BMs Uncle
James Mayne, who had emigrated to Australia, to BMs sister Molly,
illustrates this point.


Box 34
Hopetown
Victoria
Australia

5/6/45

Dear Mollie

I suppose you are thinking that I am not going to answer your
letter written on the 3
rd
Oct. 43. That is a long time to leave a letter
unanswered, but, I always intended answering it, so please forgive the
delay.
Im like you Mollie, I hate writing letters & for the same reason. Im
such a bad speller. Im always putting two ts where there should be
one & one where there should be two.
71

Yes! I remember Jim the fox terrier, I thought quite a lot of Jim.
I cant think of you with white hair, I always think of you as a little
fair haired kid with blue eyes (see page 45), who used to come up to
Mountpleasant with me.
Well my trip to Ireland does not look too promising at present. We
have just had two years drought & we look like having another. It is
impossible to give you a true picture of conditions here at present.
There is of course no feed in the paddock for the stock, & most
farmers have used all they had stored & the water is nearly all gone,
so things are in a bad way. When war broke out there was a big
surplas of wheat in Australia, so our Government only allowed us to
sow a small acreage, & now there is not enough wheat in Australia for
ourselves.
Lou (Aunt) is in Melbourne at present. I have been trying to get her to
go for a change for a long time, she has had a very trying time through
the summer.
How proud you must all be of Blair. I was very pleased to get a
cutting about him from your Aunt Francie. He has even appeared in
the Australian papers. I enclose a cutting from the Melbourne Sun?
I believe there was a larger one in another paper, but, I missed that.
Tell Francie (sister) I got her letter about Xmas. Give your mother my
love

Your Uncle
James Mayne


After the war, BM volunteered to go on an expedition to Antarctica,
but a back injury he had sustained during the war, prevented him from
continuing. His niece Margaret, attending finishing school at
Alexandra College, Dublin, wrote in her diary on 23
rd
March 1946,
Got a letter from mummy. Uncle Blair is home. Went to The
Merchant of Venice. Hilton Edwards was Shylock and was very
good..... Margaret was back home on 5
th
April. Again from her
diary, Went into town and got my frock. Went to Grannies
72

(Mountpleasant) to see Uncle Blair in afternoon. 6
th
April. Went to
Newtownards with Corden to the races. We backed a horse each. Cs
came in 3
rd
. Mine fell off. Called in at Grannies on way back.
Lovely day. In April 1946 BM was appointed Secretary of the
Incorporated Law Society of Northern Ireland.

It is well known that BM visited Dublin on several occasions after the
war. What is less known is that on one occasion he visited his niece
Margaret. Her classmates at Alexandra College were amazed, and
extremely jealous, when this huge well decorated soldier turned up
and took her out for the day. Margaret had just turned 17 on 14
th

March, and she was very proud of her Uncle. On her birthday she
wrote that she had received 5 birthday cards and a telegram from
Uncle Blair. She wrote on 21
st
March. Went for a walk .... for the
first time went by myself as over 17. Did not go into shops.

The British Legion honoured BM with a dinner evening on 21
st
June
1946. This was reported in the Newtownards Chronicle on 29
th
June
1946. The article was headed Paddy Mayne Honoured By His
Friends, Bravest Soldier Ulster has Produced. .Captain Wright
(presided during the enjoyable proceedings, and at his table were the
guest of honour and his brother, Flight-Lieut. Douglas Mayne, RAF,
District Inspector Thomas Crozier, the Rev. J.K.L. McKean, M.A.,
Mr. Harry Stevenson, and Major J.S. Copeland, MBE.

Captain Wright went on to give a brief history of BMs exploits, and
he also referred to Malcolm James book Born of the Desert, which
had already been published. Its strange that Captain Wright kept
confusing the Long Range Desert Group, a separate organization, with
the SAS itself. It is even more disappointing that he described the
first operation of the SAS on 17
th
November 1941 a success. With
BM present at the time, one can only imagine that he must have been
thinking about how his friend Eoin McGonigal died. Most of the
terrible injuries the men sustained occurred when they landed on the
rocky desert ground, and were dragged across the jagged crags, when
73

they couldnt release themselves from their parachutes in the high
winds.

Continuing, with Captain Wrights story ..the DSO is not usually
or often given to any officer under the rank of Major unless he has
performed some very dangerous and meritorious feat. The V.C. is
awarded for most conspicuous courage and devotion to duty, and I
think that Blair Mayne showed such conspicuous courage all through
his Army service abroad as should have entitled him to the V.C..
The Chairman then presented Colonel Mayne with a magnificent
silver salver from his friends as a memento of the occasion and as a
token of their esteem and admiration of his many qualities. Colonel
Mayne was given a vociferous reception and, after a toast to Our
Honoured Guest, all present sang with great heartiness: For hes a
jolly good fellow.

Colonel Maynes Reply

At last the great man had a chance to soak up the admiration
accorded him, and give a thrilling rendition of his exploits. This is
how he apparently handled the situation.

Obviously moved by the sincere and warm-hearted approbation of
his friends, Colonel Mayne confessed to being unable adequately to
express his appreciation for the wonderful evenings entertainment
and for the magnificent salver which they had presented to him. He
felt it was completely unwanted and unjustified and altogether much
too good of them. When Captain Orr [5.1] asked him if he were
available to come to a small party he did not visualize anything of the
present nature.

It seems that the Chairman Captain Wright came to the rescue of the
proceedings, at this time, by prompting BM, that he had a fine body of
men in his unit. Presumably he guessed that if BM wasnt going to
blow his own trumpet; he might say a few a things about his own men.
74

He was right. BM started to give the sort of stories, that the audience
had been looking forward to.

The speaker (BM) then recounted various stories indicating the
strong sense of humour, conscious or unconscious, which prevailed
even in moments of extreme danger and hardships. On one occasion
they arrived at an enemy aerodrome half an hour too early and they
had to lie and wait for the appointed hour of attack, but when one
enemy soldier came out of a hut and looked at his watch, he (Colonel
Mayne) had the greatest difficulty in holding one of his men from
going over and taking it from him. (Laughter). A corporal from the
Irish Guards always seemed to be living in a world of his own except
when he was on operation. One day he was taking roll and he called
out his own name. Somebody said absent and he marked himself
absent. (Laughter). Another man was absent a couple of days and
when questioned by him (Colonel Mayne) he said he lived near
Galway, ten miles from the station. He set off on his journey to walk
the ten miles and after proceeding for five or six miles he decided to
have a smoke. There was a very strong wind blowing into his face
and after an unsuccessful attempt to light his pipe he turned his back
to the wind to shield the flame, of the match. When he got the pipe
going he walked on ahead but it was not until he reached home that
he realized he forgot to turn back into the wind. (Laughter).

Twelfth [5.2] of their own

On another occasion in July they were landed from the Ulster
Monarch and they captured a town slightly bigger than Comber [5.3]
and as they were in complete control of everything, including the wine
shops, which had been abandoned, they had a complete Twelfth of
their own. (Laughter). The men had very little regard for authority
other than their own officers and when a general was paying a visit the
sergeants made a most impressive sight when they were lined up. The
inspecting officer, General Browning, of the Grenadier Guards,
complimented one man of his winning the M.M., and he admitted that
75

he, too, had been in the Grenadier Guards. How long were you with
them? asked the general and the sergeant replied: Not one minute
more than I could help. (Laughter). Colonel Mayne added that he
pointed out one man who had got a good decoration and General
Browning called him over and asked him why he was not wearing it.
The man said it was on his best tunic, but the tunic he was wearing
was one he considered good enough for any officer up to the rank of
general. (Laughter).

The Germans unfortunately, began to shoot his men when they
caught them, but one chap from Belfast, who was dropped close to
Paris could not find the rest of his party so he got in touch with the
resistance movement and lived in a butchers shop on the top floor.
At night, however, he went out and did some sabotage work. Street
photographers, indeed, took photographs of him and German soldiers
could be seen in the background. By this time, the Americans were
approaching, so he got his bicycle out and rode down to meet them.
The Germans were retreating and when they tried to take the bicycle
from him to expedite their retreat, he cursed them roundly in a well
flavoured Belfast accent. They arrested him but made the grave
mistake of putting him in a house with only one guard with a rifle. He
simply killed the guard and went off with the rifle.

Masqueraded as German

Colonel Mayne went on to say that one man who was a good
cartoonist was wounded and he found himself in hospital. He knew
he had not much of a chance to get out, but he managed to get a
French maid to smuggle him a German officers uniform. He put it on
under the blankets and got out of the ward and walked out of the
hospital taking salutes from German sentries. He was picked up by
the Americans and placed in hospital, and while there he was awarded
the Purple Heart. Colonel Mayne concluded by saying that seriously
and sincerely he thanked them for their magnificent present and for
the great honour they had accorded him on that occasion. (Applause).
76


Mr. Donald Banks said he had paid 12s. 6d. for a copy of Born of
the Desert, but as Colonel Mayne had signed his name in it, 1,200
Pounds would not buy it. On behalf of Englishmen, he went on, I
thank him and the other soldiers of this war. You all know how, when
things were going hard, we heard of the outlandish things these men
were doing to the Germans, and that gave us encouragement and hope.
It was men like Blair Mayne gave us hope to carry on. (Applause).

Family Record

Mr. Wm. A. Irwin expressed pleasure at being present on that
occasion to honour their good friend, Blair, or, as he was popularly
known in the Services, Paddy Mayne. He had known the Mayne
family for a long time and he was pleased to see that they had with
them Paddys brother who was in the Royal Air Force; if he had got
the chance he too would have got a DSO and three Bars. Their sister,
Frances, had also enlisted in the Forces and he considered that to be a
good record for a family. (Applause).

Captain Orr added that he was sure they all agreed that a
monument should be erected in Conway Square, in honour of Colonel
Mayne, who was the greatest soldier Ulster had produced.
(Applause).

It wouldnt be until May 1997, that a statue of Blair Mayne was
finally unveiled. BM might have been a shy man, but with a few
drinks in him he was always up for a song or two. He loved to listen
to songs from both sides of the traditions in Ireland. His favourite
composer was Percy French, who like the modern song writer, Van
Morrison [5.4], wrote songs about Ireland in general; appealing to
both Loyalist and Nationalist traditions. He was persuaded to give the
SAS version of Lili Marlene. In fact, this is still the Regimental
Song, the lyrics of which were written by BM himself. The lyrics are
reproduced in Appendix 3. Returning to the article.
77


Britains Greatest Soldier

Major Hugh M. Donaldson said he was conversant with the Army
and he greatly appreciated the privilege of being present to honour the
greatest soldier the British Army had produced. If ever a man won the
V.C. on many occasions it was Blair Mayne. (Hear, hear). He
considered that the authorities should be asked if the V.C. could only
be granted to a man who was under the sod.

..Mr. Andrew Malcomson, J.P., referred to the suggestion that
there should be a memorial to Blair Mayne, and said he considered
there could be no better testimonial than a Blair Mayne Legion Hall.

Various people, present, offered money for this venture. In fact it
wasnt until 27
th
October 1972 the Royal British Legion got its Blair
Mayne Memorial Hall. A plaque was unveiled by BMs sister,
Frances. This was reported in the Newtownards Chronicle, on 2
nd

November 1972. The interdenominational dedication service
was conducted by four clergymen representing the Presbyterian,
Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist Churches. Rev. C.
McKeown, of Regent Street Presbyterian Church, made the
introduction and said a prayer.

So why did it take so long for the town to get round to finally
recognising BM? The answer is very simple, as revealed in the next
Chapter, by his own men. BM had already made it clear that the VC
was not important to him. He felt he was just doing his duty for King
and Country, like the thousands of other men and women, not only in
the UK, but throughout the Empire. He also demonstrated how
embarrassed and reticent he was at being publicly honoured by even
the Royal British Legion.

[5.1] Captain Thomas Orr (Hon. Secretary of the committee)

78

[5.2] July the Twelfth is a public holiday in Ulster, when The Battle of the Boyne is
celebrated. These days it is referred to as Orangefest, in honour of William III (of the
House of Orange, Holland)

[5.3] Comber is a town immediately South of Newtownards, famed for being the
birth place of another famous Ulster soldier, Rollo Gillespie. On his statue, in the
town square, are the immortal last words that he said refusing to surrender before
dying in battle, in Nepal in 1814, One shot more for the honour of Down.

[5.4] The spoken song Coney Island,1989 Sunset Avalon album, by Van Morrison,
is one of the authors favourite songs, since the authors paternal ancestors originated
from this part of County Down.
79

Chapter 6

Like a candle in the wind.

Title of Song, Music by Elton John 1973

Bernie Taupin wrote this song to commemorate the memory of
Marilyn Monroe, but Elton John adapted and sang it at the funeral of
Diana, the former Princess of Wales in 1997. Famous people who die
young (James Dean, Bruce Lee) usually leave some kind of legacy,
which in turn converts them to legendary status. BM managed
legendary status in his own life time. The reason the author chose this
expression, is that even the greatest warriors in history, had their
weaknesses. Look at Achilles, for example, or Alexander the Great.
Even if you are a Samson, very little separates you from life and
death; and if you put a candle into a gale, it will expire very quickly
indeed. It has to be said that BMs Achilles heel was alcohol, in
particular his favourite, Paddys Irish Whiskey, and this was
ultimately what killed him.

In simple terms it could be argued that the adulation he received, led
to its own problems. No further analysis is attempted here for the
reasons for his self destruction. That is being left to the Postscript of
this book. In this Chapter, the obituaries will be given and the reasons
it took so long for BM to be rediscovered, long after his death, and for
his legacy to finally come to fruition.

Part of the obituary published by the Journal of the Incorporated Law
Society Northern Ireland, May 1956, has already been discussed in
Chapter 1. Here is the full obituary.

Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly

The Late Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Mayne

80

In the midst of great battles the warrior comes into his own.
When a nation fights for its existence, its soldiers of ardour and daring
receive the salutations of the people. Adulation often fades when
years of peace come, but in the midst of the struggle especially
when it is fierce and deadly those who dominate by their boldness
and gallantry receive grateful acclaim. And so when our country was
confronted with the horror and might of the Third Reich, when it
faced the menace of the U-boats, the threat of invasion and the deadly
Blitz, [6.1] gratitude and admiration were evoked by inspiring deeds
of valour. Our legal profession was indeed proud of a soldier-solicitor
who had proved himself of the highest temper and quality. In Africa,
in Sicily, in Italy, in France, the fame of Blair Mayne became almost
legendary. His name will be for ever linked with the Special Air
Service unit born in the Desert formed to harass and attack and
destroy the enemys line of communications. Many accounts have
been written about the exploits of this body. In all these, generous
tribute is paid to the leading and formidable part played by Blair
Mayne. We read of his daring; his rugged and forceful leadership; his
ruthlessness he asked no quarter from the enemy and gave none; his
great care for the men under him; his shrewd judgment of character;
his hatred of pretence and freedom from vanity; and above all his
personal prowess. And so when the war ended and Colonel Mayne
came back to civilian life with his wealth of fame and with the unique
distinction of having been awarded the DSO with three bars, as well
as having been admitted into the Legion of Honour by Decree of the
French Republic, his appointment by the Council of the Incorporated
Law Society to be Secretary of the Society met with warm approval of
the Solicitors profession.

The transition from the limitless battlefield to the confines of
a council chamber and library was not without its pains. In this new
world of filing cabinet, memorandum and minute book he had to learn
that results could not be achieved by swift and direct action, and that
many goals could be reached by patient progress through orderly
procedure. Those great hands which so skilfully handled the gun, the
81

grenade and other weapons of death found the pen less easy to wield
than the sword. Often in the humdrum of daily routine, the tingle and
stab of recollection brought him back to the vast eternity of the
desert, the battlefields of Sicily and Italy, the wooded valleys of
France, the lairs of the Maquis. Small wonder that on occasions he
would fain have shaken off the trammels of this ordered conventional
world. But the adjustment took place never indeed completely, but
helped greatly by the return to the profession of many who had served
in the war and who in some measure were faced with similar problems
to his own. To these he gave all assistance in his power, especially to
those whose studies had been interrupted by the conflict.

He carried out his duties as Secretary with quiet courtesy;
oftimes with an insight that brought him directly to the heart of the
problem. His great gifts of organisation ensured that all the public and
social functions of the Law Society were arranged with quiet
efficiency. On formal occasions he presented the Society with dignity
and poise. Each Armistice Day he led his brethren into the Great Hall
of the Royal Courts of Justice, a figure of towering strength adorned
with gleaming array of decorations. During the Two Minutes Silence
each heart has its own thoughts: through his mind great tides of
memory must have flowed of which his calm impassive countenance
gave no sign. His nature was reserved, revealing itself fully to but
few. Though courteous , considerate and tolerant he often maintained
an air of aloofness. Sometimes those who presumed on his courtesy
by showing an undue familiarity were withered to silence by his
glance or a dryly spoken word. He had his moments of brooding and
strange sensitivity, but to those who knew the depths of his complex
character these were understandable and fell into place. Less apparent
than his great strength and toughness was a gentleness and wonderful
kindness. One manifestation of the gentler side of his nature was his
love of trees and shrubs and flowers; much of his great physical
energy had of late been devoted to gardening in which he found an
increasing joy. One could not fail to be touched by the shy pride with
which in his garden he pointed out the beauty of a rare bloom. It is
82

indeed a tragedy that his life should have been so suddenly cut off in
his forty-first year. In military annals he will be encircled with halo of
martial renown: in the legal profession he will be remembered as a
beloved friend and brother.

Editor James R. Lindsay

The Newtownards Chronicle, led with, Homage to Ards War Hero.
For an hour and a half last Friday, thousands of people lined the
streets of Newtownards to pay homage to the memory of Lieut-
Colonel R.B. Mayne, D.S.O., as the procession proceeded to Movilla
Cemetery. Here at the actual place where the ancient abbey once
stood, the remains were interred in the presence of a large number of
high ranking representatives of the services, the legal profession, local
authorities, sport and social organisations. The chief mourners were
Colonel Maynes brothers, Mr William Mayne and Mr. J. Douglas
Mayne. The Rev. A. M. Adams [6.2], B. Sc., B. D. (First Presbyterian
Church, Newtownards), and the Rev. F. McLuskey, M.C., M. A. (who
was Colonel Maynes regimental padre in the Special Air Service),
conducted the services in the home and at the graveside..Colonel
B. M. Franks, representing the 2
nd
SAS, Regiment, and the Colonel-
Commandant of the SAS (General Sir Miles Dempsey); Lieut-Colonel
Ian Lepraik, representing the 21
st
SAS (TA) Regiment, and the Under-
Secretary of State for War (Brigadier Fitzroy Maclean); Major S.
Macbeth, representing Colonel D. Stirling, of the Special Boat
Service; Sergeant-Major Bennett, representing the Colonel of the 1
st

SAS Regiment; and Mr B. Barnes, representing the SAS Regimental
Association.In memory of Col. Mayne, the Combined
Universities and Rest of Ireland rugby teams stood in silence for a few
moments before commencing their game at Ravenhill on Saturday. At
Castlereagh Park in Newtownards, the club flag remained at half-mast
during the Ards-Glenavon Association football match.

The dedication by Rev. J. Fraser McLuskey is now reproduced in full.

83

Between You and Me

Colonel R. B. Mayne, D.S.O., who lived through some of the
wars most amazing exploits, died this week in a road accident near
his home in Northern Ireland.
Paddy, as his men loved to call him, was a legendary figure.
Endowed with a physique granted to very few, he early won renown
on the Rugby field. When war came, he was commissioned in the
Royal Ulster Rifles. Thereafter, by way of the Commandos, he found
his own special place in the First Special Air Service Regiment.
His service with this regiment in North Africa, in Italy, and in
German-occupied France, won him his D.S.O. and triple bar. When,
in due course, he became C.O., he was idolized by his men.
More than that he was both loved and trusted by them in a
unique degree.
You see, his men knew how much he cared for them.
Careless for his own safety, he was very jealous for theirs. Risks there
had to be, but everyone knew that if Paddy authorized a venture, it
must be well worthwhile and worth the risks involved.
Everyone knew that Paddy would be in it, too there with the
men he loved, where the going was toughest, and the danger greatest.
Paddy did more than send others he went himself, too
I dont think Paddy would have called himself a religious
man; although those who knew him best knew well his deep and
simple reverence for what religion really stands for. And certainly, in
the bond between him and his men, there was much to speak of that
which should unite us all with God, our Father.
Our Christian faith assures us that we matter, every one of us,
to God. The Christian faith assures us that our Heavenly Father really
cares.
Risks there must be. Risks are inseparable from daily life.
But Christians believe the risks they run are well worthwhile. Our
daily venture of service and obedience to Jesus Christ is authorized by
God Himself. He knows the dangers and the risks, the suffering and
the sorrow are all worth it in the end.
84

And now the Christmas season comes with its reminder of the
most glorious truth of all. God did more than send others to declare
His love for men He came Himself.
Thats what Christmas says. God came Himself. He came
Himself to live a human life to share the going where it is toughest
and the danger where it is greatest.
And although Bethlehem meant Calvary, still God came
Himself. This is the nature of the love of God the love that shelters
others and will not shield itself. This is the love men like Paddy
Mayne will always understand.

As an aside, Fraser McLuskey made this dedication in his book,
Parachute Padre, published in 1951, To Paddy and his men I
dedicate this book, and to those also whose hearts went with us while
they did a harder job at home.

The Times newspaper published the following obituary. Lieutenant-
Colonel Robert Blair Mayne, DSO, was killed yesterday in a motor
car accident near his home at Mountpleasant, Newtwonards, county
Down. He was 40. The son of the late William Mayne, he was
educated at Regent House School and Queens University, Belfast.
He played Rugby for Queens and was later capped as a forward in six
international games between 1936 and 1938, and in the latter year he
was a member of the British team which toured South Africa. He also
won the amateur heavyweight boxing championship of Northern
Ireland while a student at the university. He qualified as a solicitor,
and at the outbreak of war in 1939 joined the Royal Artillery,
transferring later to the Royal Ulster Rifles. Later he commanded the
Special Air Service, formed by volunteers in North Africa in 1941, the
members of which were dropped behind the German lines after D
Day. Helped by the Maquis, Colonel Mayne set up a secret
headquarters and had much success in harassing the movement of
enemy troops and supplies. He was in command of the unit in 1943
when it was allotted the task of opening the invasion assault on Sicily.
He was awarded the D.S.O. in 1942 and had received three bars
85

before the war was over. In 1945 he flew to the Falkland Islands,
where he joined an expedition to the Antarctic. It was to have lasted
two and half years, but in February, 1946, he was compelled to
relinquish his post as second in command of the expedition because of
an injury received while on active service. In 1946 he became
secretary of the Incorporated Law Society of Northern Ireland, which
he remained until his death. He was unmarried.

This was simply a summarized version of the article, which appeared
in the Belfast Telegraph, on 15
th
December 1955. The article was
headed, He Led A Private Army Behind Lines, Solicitor became
famous soldier. It is interesting that in this article his height was
claimed to be six feet six inches. The BM myth was already being
established.

As far as the author could ascertain, no memorial was officially built
to BM before or immediately after his death. The reason for this can
now be revealed. In the family papers the author found a draft press
release for the Weekly News. The identity of the author is
unknown. The article was dated 25
th
October 1958. The article in its
entirety is reproduced here.

HE WENT LOOKING FOR TROUBLE WITH A BAG OF
BOMBS

Paddy never wanted a memorial. But he got one this week
when they hung his painted portrait in the sergeants mess at the
Special Air Services headquarters in London.
To the boys of the S.A.S. Paddy was the most fantastic hero
of the war. But you wont find the name Paddy in the official
records. The War Office knew him as Lieut.-Col. Robert Blair
Mayne.
Dare-devil raids
Propped up against the sergeants mess bar, Sgt.-Maj. Bob
Bennett told me something about his former chief.
86

Paddy was a legend, he recalled. An Irishman, he was
capped for Ireland at Rugby six times.
During the war he led dozens of men including me in
Robin Hood-like, dare-devil raids, hundreds of miles behind the
enemy lines.
A huge six-foot-four chap with sandy hair, grey blue eyes,
and hands the size of hams, he was a marvellous leader.
We were given the portrait by a former S.A.S. member, Mr.
Michael ONeill. Mr. Jack Courier, an Australian, did the work. He
copied it from a photo taken of Paddy in the Western Desert.
Looked hopeless
One of Paddys typical exploits won him his fourth D.S.O.
He didnt want to bother to collect the award. He shrugged off the
incident as if hed just shot a rabbit. But it was the sort of thing which
made him into a hero.
The 1
st
SAS were spearheading our main armys advance in
North-West France with their fast armoured jeeps carrying twin
Vicker K guns.
Suddenly B squadron ran up against a crack Nazi parachute
regiment, who quickly ringed them with armour.
Things looked pretty hopeless.
Then Paddy shouted to his driver, Paddy [6.3] Hull, and his
other gunner, come on, chaps, lets get em!
Loved scraps
Scrambling into a jeep, Driver Hull slammed in the gears.
Ducking low in his seat, he sent the truck hurtling straight towards a
group of machine-gun nests!
Paddy and his gunner hung on to their Vickers guns and
blasted the machine-gun nest at point-blank range and at full speed.
Then he repeated the treatment to other emplacements.
One by one the Nazis were silenced. The rest of the
squadron never hesitated. With engines roaring they followed Paddy
through the gap in the encircling steel, spraying everything they could
with furious machine-gun fire. The Germans were left in panic.
87

Paddy loved our war-time scraps, Bob said. Youd never
imagine him in his city rig of a solicitor.
In one raid he personally destroyed 47 enemy planes on the
ground. In another, he formed an attack plan and 1,000 trucks were
put out of action. [6.4]
He would do outrageous things, like wander on to an airfield
with a satchel over his shoulder full of bombs. Then hed admonish
the Italian sentry for not challenging him! I might be a British
agent, he would tell the startled sentry.
Road crash
Half-an-hour later the sentry would have the pleasure of
seeing a couple of dozen Messerschmitt fighters burst into flames!
Paddy came through the war without a scratch. But the little
sung idol of the S.A.S. was killed two years ago in an early morning
road smash in Ireland.
Bob waved his beer mug towards the portrait. Great man,
he said. He loved life. The only thing he had no time for was girl
friends. The only woman he ever loved was his mother.

A further hand written note was found attached to the above press
release. Again it was not signed, or dated (1957/8), so the author is
unknown. A transcript follows:

Desert-Hero comes home to his sergeants

Paddy Mayne, hero of the Special Air Service, rejoined his sergeants
last night. In a ceremony which every commanding officer in the
British Army must envy, Lt. Col. Robert Blair Mayne DSO & 3 bars,
returned to the N.C.O.s who fought with him in the Western Desert,
and in Europe. Paddy Mayne came back as a portrait; an oil painting
commissioned by his war time sergeants for their mess in London.
He came back as a secret. In true S.A.S. tradition the sergeants had
told no one of their plans not even their present commanding officer
Colonel David Sutherland.
88

Squadron Sergeant-Major Robert Bennett, who won his Military
Medal when Colonel Mayne won of his D.S.O.s explained:-
We sergeants worshipped him. He was among the truly great, was
Paddy Mayne. So we decided to have his picture painted, & asked
Jack Courier the Australian artist to do it for us.
All Jack had to work from was a photograph. Paddy Mayne the man
who survived everything that the Germans could do, died in a car
smash three years ago.
He was remarkable, said Sergeant-Major Bennett. In one raid on a
German airfield in the desert he personally destroyed 47 enemy
planes. In France his plans enabled the lads to destroy 1,000 German
trucks.
Immediately artist Jack Courier completed the portrait in his Regent
Park studio yesterday, the exultant sergeants carried it off & took the
artist with them for the simple handing over ceremony at their
headquarters.
Said Jack Courier, I was a soldier myself in the war. I have read a lot
about Paddy Mayne and I know just how these blokes feel about him.
My fee? Its a secret.

So we see that BM himself wanted no memorial. This explains why it
took so long for the British Legion to recognize him, and for the town
of Newtownards to erect a statue to his memory. By the 1970s, the
wishes of BM had been forgotten and a new generation were
rediscovering his legend. Two men in particular starting to research
the BM story. They were Derek Harkness and Stewart McClean, both
from Newtownards.

They set up an organization called the Blair Mayne Association,
BMA, in 1997. They also set up an annual sports bursary, to help
young local sports personalities. At last the BM legacy had come to
fruition [6.5]. They have acted as a receiving centre for anyone,
showing an interest in BM on the internet, and over the years have
collected much BM memorabilia. They were there from the
beginning, together with the Ards Borough Council, (which set up the
89

Blair Mayne Research Society) when the current statue, erected in
the town square, Conway Square, was proposed and completed in
1997. They also helped to erect a stone cairn, to commemorate the
presence of the SAS, at Darvel in Scotland, where they were based
before D-Day.

The BMA was also responsible for producing three documentaries,
with help from the Formula 1 racing driver Eddie Irvine, which have
been shown on TV. Finally, Stewart McClean is the author of SAS:
The History of the Special Raiding Squadron Paddys Men

[6.1] Like most of the UKs major industrial towns and cities, Belfast was heavily
bombed during the war.

[6.2] The author was baptised by the Rev. Adams on 14
th
June 1962

[6.3] This was BMs fellow Newtownards friend Billy Hull.

[6.4] This took place after D-Day in France, behind the German lines.

[6.5] The Sunday Mirror ran a series, based on personal letters and photos provided
by BMs family, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death. Proceeds from
this were promised for the SAS benevolent fund.

90

Postscript

Templar, Is killing a noble thing? But a life fought for others is a
life worth living. That is a noble thing.

Quote from the film Ironclad, 2011, with James Purefoy and
Brian Cox.

In Martin Dillon fashion a postscript is provided here, to pull
together some of the loose strings of BMs character. After his co-
author, Roy Bradford died, Martin Dillon, published a revised edition
of the book, Rogue Warrior of the SAS. He tried to sensationalize
the book, by giving his own character assessment of BM in a
postscript. In essence he suggested that BM was not only
homosexual, but also a bigot. As far as BMs sexual orientation was
concerned, does anybody, in this day and age really care what it was?
It is true to say he never married, but even in the 21
st
Century, how
many people discover their true soul mates? And only two of his six
other siblings got married and had children, Molly and Douglas, so
just because he didnt get married proved nothing.

As far as the accusation of him been a bigot, who hated Catholics, was
concerned, Dillon shot down his own argument by admitting that
BMs closest friend Eoin McGonigal came from a Catholic family. In
fact, after the war BM remained in contact with the McGonigal
family, and remained a close friend of Eoins brother Ambrose.

Dillon also tried to politicize BMs credentials, by stating that his
father was an Orange man (member of the Orange Order), and stored
guns for the Ulster Volunteer Force in 1912. His father might have
been an Orange man but he certainly wasnt a bigot. Guns were
stored for the UVF in large homes and farms though out Ulster, not
because they hated Catholics but because they were willing to fight
the establishment for the right to remain British [PS.1]. He also
named his first born, Mary. This is not the behaviour of a bigoted
91

family. William Maynes grandmother was called Frances ONeill
(see page 43), a descendant of the most ancient of Irish lineages. This
explains why BM was buried in the ONeill enclosure, within the
dilapidated walls of Movilla Abbey. Movilla was the original
settlement of Newtownards, and dates back to the early Christian
period in Ireland, at a time when southern Britain was being ruled by
pagan Anglo Saxons.

It seems that BM had a good working relationship with colleagues
from both sides of the political divide in Ulster. During the Gibraltar
Rock inquiry, when members of the IRA were eliminated by the SAS
in September 1988, a lawyer representing the IRA stated that BM
used to be one of his friends. An extract from a report in the Daily
Mail, dated 13
th
September 1988, in which Paddy McCrory was cross-
examining a member of the SAS, follows .. Do you know
something about the history of the SAS? A little. Have you ever
heard of Lieutenant-Colonel Blair Mayne, DSO? He was a very
brave man. McCrory removed his glasses and peered at the soldier.
He was also a friend of mine. He once told me that during the war he
and his men translated the motto [PS.2] as Who Cares Who Wins?


During the war, BM was able to carry out feats of incredible bravery,
leading a charmed life, where even in the face of intense enemy fire,
whether jumping out of a landing craft, as in Sicily, or driving down
the road in full sight of the enemy at Oldenburg, Germany, he
survived. He must have felt invincible. But then he had a lot to live
up to, (as well as his name sake Captain Robert Blair, DSO) as far as
representing his countrymen in war. He just seemed to take this all in
his stride, following in the steps of ancestors such as Major Gordon
Turnbull, of the battle of Waterloo fame. Going back further to the
backwoods-men who formed the sharp shooters of Washingtons
army, the Ulstermen (Inniskilling regiments of foot and horse) who
held the line at Waterloo, and took part in the successful charge of the
Heavy Brigade at the battle of Balaklava, or the men of the 36
th
Ulster
92

Division and the 16
th
(Irish) Division who fought so bravely during
World War I. [PS.3]

So, after the war, where did it all start to go wrong for BM? He was
idolized by his men, that is without doubt. The creation of a celebrity
warrior was not a twentieth century phenomena, by any means. Look
at the fame of Wellington, Napoleon and Garibaldi. But BM did not
let this adulation go to his head. He remained a quiet man. He was
not interested in capitalizing on his fame. For example, Audie
Murphy was persuaded to become a film star. And he certainly
wasnt interested in politics, as the aforementioned warrior heroes of
the 19
th
Century were. He was more interested in getting on with his
gardening, a bit like Washington who retired to Mount Vernon to
farm, until he was persuaded by the US Congress to lead the Nation
that he had helped to create.

But there was still an urge within him, to get out and go on mini-
adventures. A major clue to his character lay in the title that Bradford
and Dillon chose for their book about BM. They referred to him as a
Rogue. One definition of a rogue in the dictionary is an unprincipled
man. He may have been undisciplined, but unprincipled hardly
described him at all. Another dictionary definition of rogue is a
mischief-loving child. This was far closer to the mark, demonstrated
by the kind of antics he used to get up to. He was unsettled and drink
gave him an outlet which led to mischief in a big way. He often
caused a lot of damage in public premises, but was always willing to
pay for any breakages the following day.

The trauma that he suffered, when he lost his brother could have
arrested his mental development, in some way. It is well known that
young people, who experience post traumatic stress disorder,
P.T.S.D., find it difficult to deal with adult life. The war itself, must
have added to the inner distress, that he was suffering from. He was
well known for his sense of humour, but again many comedians
(Charlie Chaplin, Tommy Cooper and Norman Wisdom to name but a
93

few) hide their own pain and hurt, experienced in life, by making
other people laugh. This is indicative of the high manifestation of
the mental disease, bipolar disorder. The lows were apparent to all
who knew him also. He would apparently brood for days at a time, on
some apparently unimportant matter, to other people. He hated not
getting his own way. His disregard for money is another (for
example, his carefree attitude to causing damage) trait of bipolar
disorder. His keen sense of competitiveness often got him into
trouble. His other child like characteristics were his deep mistrust of
authoritative figures in his life. He never suffered fools gladly, and it
didnt take much for him to label some one a fool. Once he made a
friend he expected a very high degree of loyalty. The kind side of his
nature was reflected in his care for his men, and his love of gardening
and animals. He also empathised, and got on well with children, and
probably would have made a very good teacher, if his many troubles
had been attended to.

Finally, his back problem must have had a depressing affect on him,
not just the pain, which he may have tried to over come by drinking,
but also because previously he had been such an active athlete.
Looking at the photo of BM on page 47 taken in the year of his death,
it is quite noticeable how high one shoulder was to the other. This can
be caused by curvature of the spine (scoliosis) which is extremely
painful not only at the area of the affected vertebrae of the spine but
also, due to muscle spasm, at the top of the opposing pelvis to the
raised shoulder. There is also a medical correlation between sufferers
of scoliosis and bipolar disorder.

The complex nature of BMs character; shy, modest, courageous,
highlighted for example, in the Law Society Obituary on page 81,
provided conflicting qualities. Although the SAS macho persona is
the one defining characteristic most people would want of their hero,
he demonstrated a vulnerable trait in the way he continually
demanded total loyalty from all around him. Many of his men said,
for example that, when he had a few drinks, he was as likely to deck
94

you, as put an arm around your shoulder to console you. But few
people could cause so much death and destruction without some kind
of karmic re-balance, no matter how much you try to justify what has
to be done during war. Getting to sleep quickly and soundly at night
requires a clear conscience and a relaxed body. Alcohol must have
helped him to deal with his nightmares and get some essential sleep.
Sleep deprivation heightens the senses but too little sleep leads to a
suggestive state of mind, causing poor decision making, and
ultimately leads to hallucinations and associated mental problems
[PS.4]. A condition that once experienced is difficult to come back
down from. Something experienced by adrenalin thrill seekers.
When the body is under stress (fight or flight) adrenalin surges
through the body, and blood moves away from the frontal (reasoning
centres) lobes of the brain, to the back (reptilian) part of the brain.
This is why service men and woman are trained to the point of trying
to respond to all situations as if by reflex action, otherwise most
people under stress (for example, live combat situation) would just
freeze on the spot. Hesitation is not an option.

The one thing that probably tipped him over the edge, however, was
his love and concern for his mother. As Bradford and Dillon had
recited in their autobiography, Freud has said, The boy who is his
mothers favourite will go through life like a conqueror. But what
happens to this boy/man when his mother is unable to be there for
him. Most people experience a mid-life crisis on the death of a parent,
and he had already lost his father who died on 10
th
January 1943.
Bereavement itself is a recognised form of depression, lasting for
years in some people. As the Queen once said, grief is the price we
pay for love. It was well known that his mother was an invalid, but
worse than that she suffered from Parkinsons disease. This is an
incredibly progressively debilitating disease. Not only does it affect
the person physically, through involuntary shaking movements,
especially under stress, but it brings on severe depression too.
Eventual death often occurs through collapse of the autonomic
nervous system. This must have been extremely difficult for BM to
95

cope with. Their love and admiration for each other, was completely
mutual. He was very concerned also about distressing his mother
further, by her finding out about his drink problem.

BM never was a very sociable person, by conventional terms; unless
he was having a session, for example with his men in the N.C.O.s
mess. This once again was reflected in his immaturity, and shyness,
possibly brought on by P.T.S.D. When adults behave in a child like
way (one of the more serious practical jokes he played, was when he
pretended to let off a grenade at a table, that some of his men were
sitting at after the liberation of Paris), they are soon labelled as
mentally suspect. His nave attitude and reverse logic way of looking
at things (some have called this a twisted way of looking at things,
which made him sound quite sinister with premeditated intentions),
made people who didnt know him well, mistrust him. Throw into the
mix a Calvinistic puritanical up-bringing, and you end up with a man
with a very complex character. At the Dinner Evening to honour him,
given by the British Legion, he turned down the offer, by Capt. Orr, of
attending a party. At the famous Rugby Ball in South Africa, he soon
got bored, and ended up going hunting instead. Christmas is usually a
fun-entertaining time for most people. But for people who shun big
social events, it can be an especially lonely and depressing time. On
the evening of 13
th
December 1955 (close to the anniversary of his
first successful operation with the SAS), BM attended a Masonic
[PS.5] Ball. According to the inquest into his death, he then visited
friends in Bangor, leaving there at about 2:00 am. The Doctor at the
hospital estimated death to have occurred between 4:00 am and 6:00
am. An open verdict was given, leading to inevitable speculation
about his death.

BM knew the streets of Newtownards, like the back of his hand. He
often drove round the town, in his red Reilly sports car, as if the
streets were his personal racing track. Even though it was dark, and
the rain was pouring down, and he was probably much the worse for
drink, he should have got home safely as usual. Did he intentionally
96

crash into a lorry? We will of course never know. It is a possibility,
given his frame of mind, at the time. He definitely wasnt thinking
rationally. But he was a very intelligent man, and what better way to
hide the dishonour of committing suicide [PS.6] than to make it look
like an accident. If there had been professionals around in those days,
who had recognized the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and the agony
that he was going through, perhaps his story may have ended
differently.

The odds were against him. It is very likely that no one had the nerve
to approach BM about his dilemmas, and even if they did one of the
greatest problems psychiatrists have is convincing such patients that
they need help in the first instance. Progress is only ever made once a
patient accepts that they have a crisis, instead of remaining in denial.
Then, of course, there is the stigma of accepting you have a mental
health problem, because of being labelled a lunatic, nutter etc., which
unfortunately exists in our society, even in these so-called enlightened
days. In BMs day Ulster conformed very much to a shame and
honour society.

After BM died his mother Madge died shortly afterwards, probably of
a broken heart on 25
th
February 1956. BMs eldest sister, Molly,
retired from her home in Belfast with her husband to live with the
authors parents in Writtle, Essex, where BM was based at the end of
the war. She suffered a stroke and died after returning home from a
trip to Northern Ireland, a year before the BM British Legion plaque
unveiling ceremony in Newtownards, in 1971. BMs niece, Margaret,
also like her grandmother, in the latter years of her life suffered from
Parkinsons disease, and died on 21
st
April 1999, a day before the
anniversary of her daughter Andreas death on 22
nd
April 1975.
BMs mother (Madge), eldest sister (Molly) and niece (Maggie) all
died at the same age, of 70. The way BM lived and the way BM died
had an overwhelming, everlasting effect on these three women, and
the whole family.

97

The effects of PTSD on servicemen and women is thankfully being
recognised more and more these days, with the great work of
organisations such as PTSD Resolution and Combat Stress. The
wider effects of the trauma on the families of the service personnel
needs also to be addressed. The author hopes that his own personal
experiences, overcoming PTSD, through correct medication and very
importantly meditation (since a relaxed pain free body, follows a
settled mind), will help others come to terms with their own
situations. Writing this book has been an extremely cathartic
experience for the author, and he has also benefited greatly from the
PTSD Resolution programme.

It must be appreciated that every time armed forces personnel are sent
into contact regions; the relatives left behind are under continual stress
and anxiety until their loved ones return home safely. The general
public owes a huge debt of gratitude to all service men and woman
and their families. And let us never forget those who made the
supreme sacrifice for the Allied Nations.


[PS.1] Refer to the Curragh Mutiny of 1914.

[PS.2] The SAS motto is of course Who Dares Wins

[PS.3] For more on the illustrious deeds of the people of Ulster, see the book To
Ulsters Credit, by Sam Allen, 1986, Plantation. And the book Gods Frontiersmen,
The Scots-Irish Epic, by Rory Fitzpatrick, 1989, Wiedenfeld & Nicholson, adapted
into a major TV series for Channel 4 and Ulster TV.

[PS.4] Long term sleep deprivation leads to racing thoughts (a vicious circle causing
further insomnia), paranoia and ultimately a nervous breakdown.

[PS.5] BM was a Past Master of Eklektikos Masonic Lodge 542.

[PS.6] Historically, a child or mentally incompetent person who commits suicide is
not considered felo de se, and is therefore not a felon. See for example, the verdict of
the inquest held into the death of Robert Stewart, 2
nd
Marquess of Londonderry,
which concluded that he committed suicide while insane, in 1822.
98

Appendix 1

Bibliography


Malcolm James, Born of the Desert, Wm Collins, 1945.

Roy Farran, Winged Dagger, Wm Collins, 1948.

Fraser McLuskey, Parachute Padre, SCM Press, 1951.

Derrick Harrison, These Men are Dangerous, Cassell, 1957

Virginia Cowles, The Phantom Major, Wm Collins, 1958

Patrick Marrinan, Colonel Paddy, The Ulster Press, 1960

Philip Warner, The Special Air Service, Wm Kimber, 1971

Martin Dillon, Roy Bradford, Rogue Warrior of the SAS, Jn
Murrey, 1987.

Johnny Cooper, The Story of a Founder Member of the SAS, Trans-
Atlantic, 1991.

Lorna Almonds Windmill, Major Gentleman Jim Almonds,
Robinson, 2001.

Hamish Ross, Paddy Mayne, Sutton, 2003

Stewart McClean, SAS: The History of the Special Raiding
Squadron Paddys Men, Spellmount, 2005

SAS War Diary, Extraordinary Editions, 2011
99

Appendix 2

Extract from entry in the war time diary of the 1
st
SAS Regiment.

.In less than 18 months in the desert he (BM) took part in more
than 15 raids far behind the enemy lines, during that time the parties
he led were credited with over 100 enemy planes destroyed. The
stories of his exploits read like the most sensational fiction. For his
services he was awarded the D.S.O. in 1942. A Squadron which he
commanded soon became under his guidance a source of constant fear
to the Axis, no matter how far they were behind their own lines the
enemy were never free of this haunting fear. They never knew when
he would strike or where, planes dispersed on their airfields suddenly
burst into flames, convoys were shot up in their own back areas and
always the raiders disappeared into the desert as suddenly and as
quietly as they had arrived, it was a real war of nerves. The end of the
desert war found Lt. Col. Stirling a prisoner of war. In response to a
summons, Major Mayne as he then was, went to G.H.Q. Cairo to
discuss the future of the unit, in some quarters the suggestion was
made that it had outlived its usefulness but Major Mayne fought hard
for the preservation of the Regiment in whose development he had
played a leading part. The outcome of his efforts was the formation of
the Special Raiding Squadron with himself as commanding officer,
though a reduced war establishment forced on him some sacrifices in
personnel the regiment lived on. In the months ahead he resisted
successfully all attempts to rename the unit No.1 Commando,
although such in fact was its new role

Source: Blair Mayne Association
100

Appendix 3

SAS Regimental Song

Lyrics by BM. To the tune Lili Marlene

There was a song we always used to hear,
Out in the desert, romantic, soft and clear,
Over the ether, came the strain,
That soft refrain, each night again,
To you Lilil Marlene, to you Lili Marlene.

Check youre in position; see your guns are right,
Wait until the convoy comes creeping through the night,
Now you can pull the trigger, son,
And blow the Hun to Kingdom come,
And Lili Marlenes boy friend will never see Marlene.

Twenty thousand rounds of tracer and of ball,
Forty thousand round of the stuff that makes em fall,
Finish your strafing, drive away,
And live to fight another day*,
But Lili Marlenes boy friend will never see Marlene.

Creeping into Fuka, forty planes ahead,
Belching ammunition, and filling them with lead,
A flamer for you, a grave for Fritz,
Hes like his planes, all shot to bits,
And Lili Marlenes boy friend will never see Marlene.

Afrika Korps has sunk into the dust,
Gone are the Stukas, its Panzers lie in rust,
No more well hear that haunting strain,
That soft refrain, each night again,
For Lili Marlenes boy friend will never see Marlene.
101


*Possibly inspired by Slatterys Mounted Foot, one of BMs
favourite songs, by Percy French.





Percy French was also an accomplished painter.
This painting was originally purchased by the authors
grandmother Molly Mayne.
102

About the author

John spent 23 years in academia, business and engineering, carrying
out research and teaching science and mathematics, after graduating
with a PhD from Imperial College,* London. Just before and after the
death of his mother and father he suffered a series of nervous
breakdowns. He was diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder enables some people to tap into incredible creativity,
for example, well known sufferers include author Stephen Fry and
mathematician and Nobel Prize winner Professor John Forbes Nash.
He retired from teaching to concentrate on his main interest which
was history; particularly military history. He has always been
interested in stories about the SAS. He decided to try to help ex-
servicemen and women, by writing a book about his great-uncle
Robert Blair Mayne.

*He was in his first year at Imperial when the Iranian
Embassy siege, which made the SAS a household name, took
place. The main student halls of residence backed onto the
Embassy. He discusses this in the book, as well as some of
the IRA bombings in London during the troubles in Ulster.
He was privileged to have been invited to a 1
st
SAS reunion in
2004.


Front and Back Page Illustrations

Who Dares Wins, cap badge, designed by Bob Tait, representing the
sword of Excalibur, the allegorical Sword of Mars, taken from official
war-time SAS headed paper.

These Parachute Wings, which were worn by Blair Mayne, were
designed by Jock Lewes representing the wings of the Ibis bird of
Egyptian iconography, depicted in the decor of the Shepheards Hotel,
in Cairo, destroyed in 1952.
103






After the war, Blair Mayne was presented to King George at
Buckingham Palace. It is said that the King enquired as to how, at
Oldenburg, the Victoria Cross had so strangely eluded him. In reply
Blair Mayne stated that, I served to my best my Lord, my King and
Queen and none can take that honour way from me.

Source: Blair Mayne Association





According to Malcolm James, author of the first book about the SAS
in 1945, the SAS was born of the desert, but if it had not been for
Blair Maynes fortitude in persuading high command to keep it alive
at the end of the desert campaign, the SAS would most likely have
died in the desert.