Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair "Colonel Paddy" Mayne DSO & (3 bars)
Today, the 14th December 2020, marks the 65th anniversary of the passing of one of our island's bravest soldiers. Together we remember one of Ireland’s finest warriors Robert Blair Mayne, known to the world as "Colonel Paddy", a brave man who served during the Second World War.
He was one of the "Originals", a founding member of the Special Air Service from its inception, when it was known as “L detachment”. His exploits are legendary.
He was born on the 11th January 1915 at the family townhouse (later to become the Devonshire Arms Hotel) in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Colonel Paddy survived the war and went on to carry out an expedition to the Antarctic. He later became Secretary of the Law Society, and was an esteemed Free Mason.
In Novermber 2019, his family kindly gifted all his possessions to War Years Remembered Museum. This included his battle trunk containing much civilian and military documentation, photographs, pictures, plaques, presentations, medals and uniform, as well as many of his personal items.
The work is continuing behind the scenes at War Years Remembered, cataloguing, preserving, conserving and digitally archiving this unique collection for the benefit of all.
It covers his family life, sporting life (not just at national but international level). This includes rugby, boxing, cricket, golf and shooting - he was a natural all rounder.
In future posts we will also be able to show his vocational career, his interest in poetry and share his love of gardening and his plans for the amazing gardens at Mount Pleasant, his family home.
We covered a brief introduction to his Antarctic expedition earlier this month, and it has proved to be of interest to members of the UK Antarctic Historical Society, as well as the British Antarctic Society, and will be covered in depth in future articles by Geoff Cooper. Geoff has been working very closely with us on the identification of many of Blair's unseen photographs of the expedition and the translation of the journal he kept, another very important piece of his life’s journey.
We have also started working on chronicling a documentary on his life story, to "bust" the myths and legends, and dispel some of the injustices done to him after his death.
It is clear by what we are discovering and learning from talking to the people who actually knew him (and recording these conversations for future use) that it tells us a truer story than has been portrayed in some books.
He was admired by all who knew the real him. The admiration that the men of L Detachment and the SAS held him in, still reverberates to this day.
We have also met with family members of his close friends and have been in contact sharing each others' "Families at War" stories, involving such people as Eoin Christopher McGonigal Ted Griffith, Stanley Martin and Brian Ormonde Barnes (who subsequently was one of Blair’s pallbearers at his funeral).
All this information and more will form a true record of the man, a "Chronicle" of his life which we will take great pleasure in sharing with you all in the future, in one form or another.
We have all learned so much in the last year since his items first went out on display (being the first opportunity for some to see his possessions since his death in 1955) and look forward to sharing it all with you.
Since the items first joined the War Years Remembered Collection and went on display in the Museum, we have received his death certificate and Official Military Service Records. These have been added to the collection and join other amazing items of his that people have kindly donated. We would like to extend our thanks to them for allowing the items to be put on display, being vital additions to his fascinating story.
Sadly 65 years ago to the day, the 14th December 1955, at Mill Street Newtownards returning from Bangor, Blair met his untimely death in the early hours around 4am .
His red Riley sports car (which some called the "Red Rocket" or "Big Fire Engine", collided with a stationary truck resulting in a fracture at the base of his skull.
Blair's funeral was the biggest his hometown of Newtownards had ever seen. The cortege was a mile long and took an hour to travel through the town. He is buried in Movilla Abbey Cemetery.
We have so much still to learn about this man and also to share with the world. We have nothing but admiration for his achievements in his short life and what he achieved at such a young age. His story is slowly revealing itself and is growing day by day.
The man was a true legend, in the proper sense - the bravest man not to be awarded the Victoria Cross.
My sincere thanks go to Blair's family - Fiona & Norman Ferguson, Douglas Ferguson and the entire Mayne family. It was wonderful having 3 generations at the unveiling back in November 2019.
A special thanks to Lord Ashcroft, Andrew Alderson and Julian Simmonds for involving us in his wonderful article.
On-going research is being helped by Geoff Cooper, Eoin and Patrick McGonigal, Xenia Barnes, Jeanette Maria Griffith, David Wilson, John Martin, David Robson, Roy Magowan, Gary Hull and Peter Forbes.
I am indebted to Bruce Crompton and author Damien Lewis for their continued and constant support as we endeavour to unlock the truth about this most courageous man.
Please forgive me if I have overlooked anyone here - friendships and partnerships have and are creating a fascinating archive for this generation and the generations to come.
Together We Will Remember Them.
