Lt Col Robert “Paddy” Mayne: rugby player, lawyer, brawler, amateur boxer, hardfuck and one of the founding members of the SAS.
During WW2, he became one of the most decorated soldiers in the British Army, leading many raids deep behind enemy lines in the North Africa and mainland Europe. Mayne pioneered the use of military jeeps to conduct surprise hit and run raids against Axis airfields.
In one of the most successful raids of the SAS, on the night of July 26, 1942, 40 aircrafts were destroyed with the loss of only 3 jeeps and 2 men.
He was credited with personally destroying up to 100 aircrafts during the war.
In 1943, ahead of the main invasion of Sicily, in just a single operation, he and his men of the Special Raiding Squadron were responsible for capturing 450 prisoners, 4 costal batteries and killing 300 enemy soldiers.
Mayne was one of 7 soldiers to receive the DSO four times. He was nominated several times for the Victoria Cross only to have it downgraded each time. Many suspected that his attitude of non fuckery towards his superior officers and for taking matters into his own hands were the cause of this.
Regardless of what higher thought of him, his soldiers described him as the rogue consummate war time soldier. Courageous and ruthless in combat, his exploits shaped many of the attributes seen today within the modern military.
Mayne tragically died in a car crash in 1955.
Campaigns to have his Victoria Cross reinstated are still going on to this day.
#ww2 #sas #hardfuck #stayzero #zerofoxtrot