Blair Mayne Research Society

With Ards Borough Council and the Mayne family, Douglas Mayne,Blair’s Brother, Francis. His sister and Fionna, his niece, a concise history was put together. The group also helped to raise funds for the statue by lectures, exhibitions and the sale of specially commissioned lapel pins. On the 2nd of May 1996 the Statue, Sculpted by Anthony Stone was erected in Conway Square, Newtownards in the presence of the local and International dignitaries, with the guests of honour being many of the remaining veterans of 'L' detachment of the Special Air Services, the first SAS.

Statue which stands in Conway Square, Newtownards

^{After the success of the statue the group decided to continue its work and was re-named’ The Blair Mayne Research Society’, with the aim to carry on research into the lives of all local Servicemen and Servicewomen who served the crown from the 1600s up to the Korean War. As with all societies some members left to proceed with their own interests and the remaining members put together a constitution and applied for Non-Profit Charity status. Ards Borough Council endorsed the society’s aims and provided seed money and let us meet in the small former church building at Kiltonga. In 1996 the society members made two private research trips, one to Sicily to visit the Special Raiding Squadrons actions in Operation ‘Huskey’ and in September to The Somme and Ypres to research local Ards soldiers of The Great War.}

^{In 1997 it was decided to raise funds for The Northern Ireland Peace Bell for Messines in Belgium to commemorate the actions carried out by the 36th Ulster and the 16th Division on the Messines ridge in 1917. Members made visits to Messines, Normandy and the Morvan, visiting sites of local men’s actions in WWI and WWII. It was during this visit that we made our first contacts with Juliet Giriard, a resistance fighter in Normandy, The Maquis in the Morvan and the Mayor of Berthecourt at site of the execution of the Garstin Stick in Northern France.}

^{Guest Members of the Royal Irish Rangers Association with the Northern Ireland Peace Bell, Messines 1998}

^{By June/July of 1998 sufficient funds had been raised to cast the Northern Ireland Peace Bell and the society took 97 veterans, councillors and members of the public from all parts of Northern Ireland to take part in the dedication ceremony. Over those few days, a truly cross community group including the Orange Lodge and the Hibernians attended the ceremonies to the 36th Ulster and the 16th Irish Divisions.}

^{In 1999 the Societies Constitution was ratified and we obtained Charitable Status Title, Reference number XR16931, dated the 5th May 1999 and we also received funds from Ards Partnership, E.U. Peace and Reconciliation Fund. Various lections and exhibitions were given throughout Northern Ireland and at QUB. OCT, where Blair Mayne received his first military training. We also arranged a tour to the Somme with councillors of Ards Borough Council, veterans and members of the public.}

^{That year Ards Borough Council set up the Blair Mayne Bursary with funds remaining from the statue appeal and we provided an exhibition in Mount Pleasant, Blair’s home at a Gala night organised by the Rotary Club of Newtownards, courtesy of Mrs Fionna Ferguson, Blair’s niece and her husband , Mr Norman Ferguson. At that we were able to provide vintage WWII SAS Jeeps through the offices of Mr. K. Paden and friends.}

^{In 2000 the research continued with the first trip to Verdun where we laid a wreath in the WWI American Cemetery, near Belleue Wood in France. This trip included the Somme and we were privileged to attend the re-burial of Pte. G. Nugent, whose remains had been found in 1999.}

^{Members and Guests at the Anglo/French Maquis Cemetery in the Morvan Forest}

^{2001 saw a return to Normandy where the Society along with members of the Royal Irish Rangers Association laid wreaths at the memorials to the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Royal Ulster Rifles at Cambes Le Plaine and Ranville. The group also had a meeting with the Mayors of the community representatives around Le Perche, where we were able to bring out Madame Juliet Giriads story about the help she gave to local SAS man William Hull, behind the lines in 1944. Juliet has since been awarded a belated Legion De Honour for her work at that time. We also took part in the campaign in regard to the Paris 3rd Airport and asked for and received great support from all members in the Northern Ireland Assembly.}

^{With the help of Donald Wilson our Norwegian member and sponsored by Phillips Oil we took a party of 9 Veteran SAS men and their wives to Bergen, in Norway to visit the site of their actions in 1945.}

^{Former SAS in Bergen in the same location they in 1945}

^{2002 saw the society giving lectures and an exhibition at Catterick, to the territorial SAS amid vintage and modern arms of service. In July of that year we were again in Normandy and the Somme with veteran guests of WWII and the SAS.}

^{In 2003 a trip to Verdun, Bastogne and the Magionet Line took place as well as the visit to The Somme. At this time we started to look into the issue of pardons for the Shot at Dawn campaign with Andrew McKinley MP. We obtained Offices in Donaghadee Old Town Hall and could set up an office at last.}

^{2004, lectures to the WEA and a talk to Carrowdore Primary School on The Blitz, as part of the curriculum. This year we took as our guest Arthur Spence from Comber to make his first visit to the Grave of his father Sapper A Spence RE who was KIA in 1945 in Bari, Italy. This trip also took in Cassino and the society received favourable remarks from our veteran guests.}

^{In 2005 we mounted a 2 week exhibition for VE day in Ards Town Hall and the Council invited local veterans to a special lunch and we had the honour to have these servicemen and women to open the exhibition. Research continued into the various operations, namely The Garstin Stick, where local SAS men were captured and executed by the Germans. In July we returned to the Somme and Verdun and we visited the locations of the actions of a Comber man. 2nd Lieutenant E. De Wind, who was awarded a posthumerous Victoria Cross during Operation Michael in 1918.}

^{Mount Pleasant, Blair Maynes House went on the market this year for a housing development. We were concerned that the house would be demolished and contacted the developer and asked could a Blue Plaque be erected giving details of Blair Maynes life in the house. We were delighted to be given the undertaking that not only would the house be retained, a plaque would be erected and the Society would be given an exhibition space in the restored house.}

^{Members attended the Scottish Special Forces Reunion in Perth Scotland in 2006 and had a wonderful weekend with marvellous people. In July we attended the 90th Anniversary memorials of the Battle of the Somme and were privileged to be granted a special pass which enabled the party to visit all the services held during the day.}

^{To our surprise and joy the Royal Irish Regiment arranged a collection day in Newtownards for the Society and Ards Borough Council provided funds to have T-Shirts printed for the occasion, all together the day raised £700-00 for the Society.}

^{In September we visited Krakow Poland and visited Auschiwce. We also had a guided tour at the Jewish Museum and the Polish Home Army Museum curtsey Pawel a local historian. Our friendly House of Commons member, Andrew McKinley met us there and arrange attendance at The Last Night of the Proms and a wonderful lunch meeting with C Crawford, British Ambassador to Poland.}

Members with Andrew Mackinley MP in Poland

^{At the end of the year we sought support from the House of Commons in regards to the possible loss of WWI enlistment papers.}

^{Mount Pleasant was damaged in a fire, but the undertaking given to the Society remains, with the developer promising to rebuild the house.}

^{The Society had to vacate the Old Town Hall Donaghadee, and we moved to The Newtownards and District Shooting Club in Carrowdore by the kind intervention of the owners who have provided us with an office and a place to hold our meetings. We also received great support from the ‘Awards for All’ fund toward new equipment and this web site.}

^{We also contacted local councillors and they have agreed to erect a Blue Plaque on Edmund De Winds former home in Comber.}

^{The present: We are getting established in Carrowdore, we have constructed an Office and are now arranging our annual trips. We have planned to visit the Somme and Ypres this may for a long week end and hope to travel to the middle of France in July to research the Das Reich route in 1944. Research continues.......}

^{Members of the Society list among their other interests the following. Representatives on the Blair Mayne Bursary Committee, The Northern Ireland Kinder transport Memorial Committee. The Irish Guards, the Royal Irish Rangers Association, and the PRANI and RMANI.}

^{If you wish to know more about the Society}