SAS Rogue Heroes

[muncher]

I highly recommend you read the book on Paddy Maine. The man was made for war. The books go all through the Africa campaign and then into Europe. 

[ordnance]

On 01/11/2022 at 11:25, muncher said:

I highly recommend you read the book on Paddy Maine. The man was made for war. The books go all through the Africa campaign and then into Europe. 

He was certainly a interesting Character, right man right time and place. 

Companion of the Distinguished Service Order and Three bars (DSO & 3 Bars)	24 February 1942 21 October 1943 (1st Bar) 29 March 1945 (2nd Bar) 11 October 1945 (3rd Bar)
	1939–45 Star
	Africa Star	With '8th ARMY' clasp
	Italy Star
	France and Germany Star
	Defence Medal
	War Medal 1939–1945 with bronze oak leaf for Mentioned in Dispatches	24 February 1942 (MID)
	Officer of the Legion of Honour	(France) [30]
	Croix de guerre 1939–1945	(France)

See also

 

[muncher]

12 hours ago, ordnance said:

He was certainly a interesting Character, right man right time and place. 

Companion of the Distinguished Service Order and Three bars (DSO & 3 Bars)	24 February 1942 21 October 1943 (1st Bar) 29 March 1945 (2nd Bar) 11 October 1945 (3rd Bar)
	1939–45 Star
	Africa Star	With '8th ARMY' clasp
	Italy Star
	France and Germany Star
	Defence Medal
	War Medal 1939–1945 with bronze oak leaf for Mentioned in Dispatches	24 February 1942 (MID)
	Officer of the Legion of Honour	(France) [30]
	Croix de guerre 1939–1945	(France)

See also

 

Many of his men thought he should have been awarded the VC, but his tendency to punch officers stopped it. He was also an international rugby player for Ireland. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by muncher

[rapid rich]

And a British and Irish Lion , and a very talented boxer 

R

Edited November 7, 2022 by rapid rich

[Newbie to this]

6 hours ago, muncher said:

Many of his men thought he should have been awarded the VC, but his tendency to punch officers stopped it. He was also an international rugby player for Ireland. 

He was put forward for the VC but is got downgraded to another DSO. Seems it was Monty that put him forward for it as well.

Victoria CrossEdit

Mayne's contemporaries questioned why he was not awarded a Victoria Cross, and the matter came to a head when brought before British Parliament in January 2006 after a public campaign to re-open the case. The British Government declined to do so, though the Blair Mayne Association vowed to continue their campaign to have the Victoria Cross retrospectively awarded.^[18] Mayne's actions were not in doubt and his citation, approved by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, commander of the Allied 21st Army Group, noted that he led two armoured jeep squadrons through the front lines toward Oldenburg.

The success of his mission to clear a path for the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division and sow disorganisation among the enemy was due to his "brilliant military leadership and cool calculating courage" and a "single act of bravery" which "drove the enemy from a strongly held key village thereby breaking the crust of the enemy defences in the whole of this sector."^[19] However, in a standard practice of the time, the award was downgraded to a lesser award, and Mayne instead received a third bar to the DSO (in other words, a fourth award of the DSO).^[20]

[Bigbob]

Thoroughly enjoyed the programme and a tense finish to the first series 

[the hitman]

Yes - just finished it, and a good watch once it got started.

The French spy was a welcome addition to the plot.

[Bigbob]

12 hours ago, the hitman said:

Yes - just finished it, and a good watch once it got started.

The French spy was a welcome addition to the plot.

With her clothes on or off lol i think shes going to appear again 

[Scully]

Am about half way through the book, which is a cracking read.
Have to say that watching the series, there have been an awful lot of ‘artistic’ liberties taken with what happened in reality. 
As always, the book is better, by a long way. 

Edited December 31, 2022 by Scully

[Houseplant]

I watched the TV show. It was entertaining, but I didn't feel sympathetic to any of the characters, they were all pretty unlikable in my opinion. As for Paddy Maine, I find it hard to believe that level of insubordination was tolerated in the British Army, even in war time, maybe especially in war time.

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Houseplant said:

I watched the TV show. It was entertaining, but I didn't feel sympathetic to any of the characters, they were all pretty unlikable in my opinion. As for Paddy Maine, I find it hard to believe that level of insubordination was tolerated in the British Army, even in war time, maybe especially in war time.

The series has exaggerated the in subordination to some extent; I think screenplays have to really in attempts to explain situations and characters quickly, but there genuinely was a lack of respect for superior officers and the chain of command in general, according to the book which is based on the ‘official’ and original archives. 
Freedom of thought and independent action was encouraged, not stifled, and these weren’t the sort of men who worked well within the rules of military discipline. 
 

[Rem260]

16 hours ago, Scully said:

Am about half way through the book, which is a cracking read.
Have to say that watching the series, there have been an awful lot of ‘artistic’ liberties taken with what happened in reality. 
As always, the book is better, by a long way. 

Quite agree the book is far better. There is enough in the book to keep the viewer interested without the sub plots. I don't know why they had to distort the truth. 

[Scully]

2 minutes ago, Rem260 said:

Quite agree the book is far better. There is enough in the book to keep the viewer interested without the sub plots. I don't know why they had to distort the truth. 

I can understand why it’s been done, as they wanted to adapt the story which would attract an audience and therefore viewing figures, rather than a documentary, but I feel that could have been done anyhow, just by telling it as it had actually happened; it’s a wow of a story which ever way you look at it! 
I’ve no doubt timescales, budget of production costs all played their part. 

[Rem260]

28 minutes ago, Scully said:

I can understand why it’s been done, as they wanted to adapt the story which would attract an audience and therefore viewing figures, rather than a documentary, but I feel that could have been done anyhow, just by telling it as it had actually happened; it’s a wow of a story which ever way you look at it! 
I’ve no doubt timescales, budget of production costs all played their part. 

But this then leaves the viewer trying to figure out what is true and what is made up. Unless its a clever ploy to get people to buy the book. I read the book a little while ago and would say at least 50% isn't in the book, despite the claim that most of it is.

[12gauge82]

3 hours ago, Houseplant said:

I watched the TV show. It was entertaining, but I didn't feel sympathetic to any of the characters, they were all pretty unlikable in my opinion. As for Paddy Maine, I find it hard to believe that level of insubordination was tolerated in the British Army, even in war time, maybe especially in war time.

Nobody is perfect and great people sometimes do questionable things, like the scene they shot a load of unarmed nazi military personnel at the air bases, the results however spoke for themselves. 

[Rem260]

2 minutes ago, 12gauge82 said:

Nobody is perfect and great people sometimes do questionable things, like the scene they shot a load of unarmed nazi military personnel at the air bases, the results however spoke for themselves. 

I think in the book it was a guard room and only by Paddy and not the others.

[Scully]

32 minutes ago, Rem260 said:

But this then leaves the viewer trying to figure out what is true and what is made up. Unless its a clever ploy to get people to buy the book. I read the book a little while ago and would say at least 50% isn't in the book, despite the claim that most of it is.

Indeed it does, but for cinematic purposes it is necessary to elaborate or exaggerate events to make them attractive to viewers; that’s what it’s all about, viewing figures. 
As a piece of entertaining tv I think it more or less does its job, but it’s not meant to be a documentary. If people want the definitive history then they need to read a book. 

[12gauge82]

I believe its probably (as far as TV or books go) a very accurate representation of how the regiment and its ethos was formed. Either way was a very enjoyable watch. 

[Westward]

7 hours ago, Scully said:

 I think it more or less does its job, but it’s not meant to be a documentary. If people want the definitive history then they need to read a book. 

The book which is the basis for the TV series was written by Ben Macintire who also narrated a 3 part documentary telling the real story and containing clips recorded in the 80s from a number of survivors of the original 60 or so L Detachment recruits. These clips included David Stirling himself.