SAS expert: US and Australia honour historic heroes, why can't UK do same for Paddy Mayne?
The UK's blanket rule against retrospective awards for war heroes "isn’t good enough" when compared to allied nations, a renowned author and special forces historian has told BFBS Forces News.
Damien Lewis, a de facto expert in the ways of the SAS and its secretive past, has joined calls for a posthumous Victoria Cross to be awarded to Paddy Mayne – an original member of the elite regiment.
The Government hasn't revisited the case for the revered Northern Irish soldier, which refers to his 1945 rescue of injured comrades during a Nazi ambush, despite the US and Australia recently awarding medals for events dating back decades.
In recent months, Australia posthumously awarded Vietnam War hero Richard Norden a Victorian Cross for "almost a carbon copy action to Paddy Mayne's", according to Mr Lewis, while several US Korean War and Vietnam veterans have received a Medal of Honour in early 2025.
"Why can't we do it in Great Britain?" said Mr Lewis.
"Are we somehow saying the valour of our own veterans is on a lesser level than it is in America and Australia, and therefore they are not worthy?
"It doesn't make the slightest bit of sense to me, and frankly it just isn't good enough."
Mayne's WWII actions are the stuff of legend in the special forces community; his portrayal in the BBC's SAS Rogue Heroes drama has broadened his notoriety despite criticism of the character's portrayal.
His successful, line-of-fire, rescue efforts in 1945 led to his recommendation for a Victoria Cross, before it was downgraded by an unknown Whitehall bureaucrat.
Former defence secretaries from multiple political parties are now among those pushing for this to be 'corrected' and talk of a parliamentary motion being tabled has surfaced.
One of those is Grant Shapps, who served as Secretary of State for Defence from August 2023 to July 2024.
"I think the fact that, all these years later… the calls are stronger than ever means that we should get this done once and for all," he said.
However, he also warned that while a parliamentary motion should be carried out, Mr Shapps said one had already been brought forward.
"I actually signed a parliamentary motion for Paddy Mayne 20 years ago in 2005 when I was a newbie MP," he said.
"So this has been tried before."
He did, however, acknowledge that he was more optimistic this time around.
Others, including Mr Lewis, are also heavily critical of the BBC's depiction of Mayne as an unstable individual.
Former SAS operator Colonel Tim Collins, who is also backing calls for Mayne to posthumously receive a VC, says the drama fails to explain how a "maniac" could possibly lead men to historic victories behind enemy lines.
Mr Lewis believes a decision to revisit the case for a Victoria Cross could go some way in correcting the narrative around Mayne, so the public may view the man in the same way his comrades did.
The author says he's met separate filmmakers who are looking to make a "true biopic" on Mayne.
He wrote on social media: "I've just been having a meeting with film people, looking at making a true biopic of the legendary sportsman, warrior and SAS commander Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, DSO, Legion d'Honneur, Croix de Guerre. The wheels are in motion, folks."
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