Legendary SAS commander Paddy Mayne was denied posthumous Victoria Cross due to embarrassing 'clerical error'

Legendary SAS commandant Paddy Mayne was denied a posthumous Victoria Cross due to the fact that of a glaring 'clerical error' by 2 service chiefs, caller probe reveals.

Lieutenant-Colonel Blair 'Paddy' Mayne - whose heroics during the Second World War diagnostic successful the BBC play bid SAS Rogue Heroes - was recommended for a VC for smashing done a Nazi ambush successful Germany successful April 1945.

During the action, helium rescued wounded men and eliminated a German machine-gun position.

The proposal was, however, controversially downgraded successful Whitehall. He alternatively received a Distinguished Service Order - his 4th of the Second World War.

The Mail connected Sunday revealed successful January that the Ministry of Defence was being urged to reverse the decision.

Now an bonzer subject papers discovered successful an archive successful Canada and shared with the MoS suggest that elder officers assessing Lt Col Mayne's citation look to person made an embarrassing mistake by confusing the connection 'signal' with 'single'.

The Royal Warrant that instituted the VC successful 1856 states that the medal is awarded to those who person performed 'some awesome enactment of valour oregon devotion to their country.'

But Lt Col Mayne appears to person missed retired due to the fact that helium received assistance from a comrade who was blasting the Germans with a instrumentality weapon which, it was argued, meant his feat was not 'single' enactment of valour.

The revelation comes up of a statement by MPs successful the House of Commons connected Tuesday astir Lt Col Mayne's denial of a VC.

A missive written by Brigadier JRC Gannon, a elder British Army officer, successful July 1945 praised Lt Col Mayne's 'magnificent enactment of heroism' but warned determination was a 'certain flaw' successful the citation.

He suggested that helium had consulted Sir Colville Wemyss, 1 of the astir elder Generals successful Whitehall, who agreed that Mayne's heroics were not 'quite up to VC standard'.

Brig Gannon wrote: 'It was not a single-handed enactment of heroism, rescuing the wounded, arsenic different serviceman was contiguous successful the jeep giving covering fire.

'Nevertheless, it was a magnificent show and it is suggested that the uncommon favoritism of a 3rd barroom to the DSO would beryllium the due award.'

Last nighttime historiographer and SAS adept Damien Lewis, who on with the grandson of 1 of the founders of the SAS commissioned the research, described the missive arsenic a 'smoking gun' that exposes however the officers misunderstood the rules governing the grant of VCs.

'This reveals that the refusal of Paddy Mayne's VC seems to person been a clerical mistake oregon an mistake of interpreting the rules of however VCs get awarded.

'Therefore the statement is nary longer asking the British Government to overturn decades of subject contented that awards are not revisited retrospectively. It is conscionable asking them to close an mistake of fact.

'It would beryllium precise elemental to bash and it would not acceptable a precedent. It would suitably reward Paddy Mayne and the SAS and besides nonstop a fantastic connection to Britain's equipped forces today.' 

Brig Gannon's missive was recovered successful a Canadian archive due to the fact that Lt Col Mayne's SAS portion was embedded with Canadian forces successful Germany successful 1945. 

The MoS revealed successful February however Labour Defence curate Lord Coaker had rejected calls for Lt Col Mayne to beryllium awarded a VC. 

'No records stay arsenic to wherefore the determination was made, and it would beryllium intolerable to 2nd conjecture the decisions made by subject commanders astatine the time: to bash truthful would beryllium to formed uncertainty connected their competence and integrity,' helium said. 

'Furthermore, neither this Government nor immoderate erstwhile 1 has departed from the regularisation that British awards are not granted retrospectively.' 

The Commons statement connected Tuesday has been tabled by Jim Shannon, the Democratic Unionist Party MP for Strangford successful Northern Ireland. Lt Col Mayne was from Newtonards successful Ulster.

Mr Shannon told the MoS: 'As a wee lad increasing up successful Ballywalter successful the 1960s and the aboriginal 1970s, Blair Mayne was my hero. He was a leader for each wee lad and astir apt astir wee girls arsenic well.

'The momentum is increasing for this and the involvement is growing. We are hoping that the enactment from crossed enclosure volition alteration the curate to instrumentality this to the adjacent signifier and that astatine agelong past the incorrect that was done against Blair Mayne 80 years agone tin beryllium righted.'

Veterans Minister Alistair Carns, a erstwhile Royal Marine who has won the Military Cross and DSO for gallantry connected operations, volition respond connected behalf of the Government during the debate.