Dubbing it a "suicide mission" during a tense meeting with General Montgomery Con O'Neill , Stirling's concerns are clear. In the meeting, General Montgomery hails Paddy Mayne Jack O'Connell as a vital driving force within the SAS - a sentiment echoed in real life, where Montgomery actively championed recognition for Paddy's unwavering bravery.
Montgomery even signed off on a Victoria Cross recommendation - the highest honour - only to see it dismissed by Whitehall bureaucrats. Defying orders not to lead from the front, Paddy Mayne boldly headed into the fray, taking charge of the situation. With remarkable calmness, Paddy single-handedly neutralised the source of the intense enemy fire, as recounted by Lieutenant John Scott: "He drove up the road past the position where the squadron commander had been killed a few minutes previously, giving me cool precise fire orders.
Colonel Mayne fully realised the risk [of extricating the survivors], yet once more turned the jeep round and drove up the road He jumped out of the jeep giving me orders to continue firing, lifted the wounded out of the ditch, placed them in the jeep and drove back to the main party. His heroic actions not only saved the lives of those injured but also dismantled most of the enemy defences, earning him a recommendation for the Victoria Cross. However, the recommendation was mysteriously withdrawn six months later before it could be awarded, sparking debates that continue to this day.
Paddy died at the young age of 40 in December , leading to suggestions that he should be honoured posthumously. Over MPs from Westminster signed three parliamentary motions in advocating for a retrospective award, but it was once again denied. Montgomery is known to have praised Paddy's "brilliant military leadership and cool calculating courage". Celebs TV Films. US Celebrity News Strictly.
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