Cast of Blair Maine statue goes to Hereford

Let's get together and piece together all of ards historical past, perhaps the historical society may get involed, so if you know any, get them on the forum incase it all gets lost in memory

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MasterSamWise
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Cast of Blair Maine statue goes to Hereford

Post by MasterSamWise » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:06 am

A life-sized statue is to be erected of Ulsterman Lieutenant-Colonel Blair Mayne – a founder member of the Special Air Service (SAS) and one of the most decorated soldiers of the Second World War.

The monument is to be placed at the SAS’s regiment base in Hereford and will be made from a cast taken from a statue of him that currently stands in Newtownards.

Known by many as ‘Paddy’ Mayne, his bravery led him to become one of the most famous folk heroes of the war.

Born in Newtownards, Co Down, from November 1941 to the end of 1942, Lt/Col Mayne participated in numerous night raids deep behind enemy lines in the deserts of Egypt and Libya.

Later he led the SAS through the final campaigns of the war in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Norway, where he often campaigned alongside local resistance fighters.

During the course of the war he received the Distinguished Service Order with three bars – one of only seven British servicemen to receive the award four times.

He also won the Legion d’Honneur and the Croix de Guerre.

But despite his success Lt/Col Mayne – who died aged 40 in a car crash in Newtownards 52 years ago – was controversially overlooked for the Victoria Cross.

Last night the Mayor of Ards, Robin Drysdale, said it was right that Lt/Col Mayne should be honoured at the SAS regiment’s headquarters.

The DUP man said: “I think it’s a good thing that he will remembered in such a way. He was a legend in his day, and did not get the Victoria Cross, which I think he
deserved.�

Mr Drysdale said he felt British people should be indebted to the war hero.

“He was a man worth his salt who stopped at nothing and wasn’t afraid to go into battle,� he said.

“He was fighting for his Queen and country and played a big part in the last war.�

Derek Harkness, a local businessman and founder member of the Blair Mayne Association, said the statue would be a “brilliant� tribute to Lt/Col Mayne.

He said: “It is fitting that he will take his place beside David Stirling. Paddy was the man who dared. Stirling was the planner, Paddy was the doer.�

Upon leaving school Mayne studied law at Queen’s University in Belfast. While at university he took up boxing, and became Irish Universities Heavyweight Champion in August 1936.

In 1938 he was also selected for the British Lions Tour of South Africa


http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Ulster ... 3158654.jp


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