24/05/2026
On This Day 24th May 1944 Major WWG Lavery MBE
The official anniversary of the battle for the “Adolf Hi**er Line” and the date commemorated with the North Irish Horse.
We thought we would share one of the jewels in our crown.
It is an amazing story of an amazing individual who gave service not self and fought in that battle.
A troopers story Major WWG (Paddy) Lavery MBE
(5th Inniskilling Dragon Guards 1931-1940 &
North Irish Horse 1940-1946)
Royal Hospital Chelsea 1999-2000
With the North Irish Horse Northern Ireland, UK mainland through Africa in to Italy and on to Germany.
Walter was commissioned Lieutenant to the North Irish Horse in December 1940 when the Regiment was stationed in Portrush.
He was granted the paid acting rank of Captain in Aug 1942, then assumed second in command of A Squadron In Nov 1942, he was then appointed Liaison Office (LO) for the NIH in Dec 1942.
By April 1944 he became Officer Commanding HQ Squadron echelon NIH.
After the war when the NIH was disbanded he served with Northern Ireland Command being administered from his old regiment the 5th Innisking Dragoon Guards he continued to serve in various roles and returned to the UK mainland as an officer with the REME when our present Queens coronation took place as well as his wartime issued medals he was also awarded the MBE and still served our nation at the Royal Hospital Chelsea till his death in 2000.
Photographs attached Trooper Walter WG Lavery aged 17
Major WWG Lavery Italy 1944
Walter Paddy Lavery at the Royal Hospital Chelsea aged 86
His uniform, bag and battle box on permanent display at War Years Remembered.
Below a snippet from the family book A Troopers Story.
In his very own words.
If you would like to see his artefacts or learn more about his life and service or any other veterans stories why not organise a visit and hear first hand of the men and women who served and led our nation through our country’s darkest hours.
“My duties as liaison officer were to find out what was happening on the regiment’s right and left flanks and inform the Commanding Officer of the state of the battle accordingly. After the Battle of Beja (see N.I.H. Battle Report), we were more or less static in a defensive position and at one stage, I had to command a half squadron of tanks (Churchills) in a defensive role forward of Ksar Mezouan Station. During the day we just kept alert and on lookout, while the night guard was allowed to sleep and rest.
During the time I was in command, we didn’t fire one round of ammunition in anger. However, one round was fired! One evening when it was getting dusk, the 15 cwt truck with our food arrived and, after all the other ranks had had their food, I got mine in my mess tin (heated up stew and rice pudding) and went back to my tank. I had no sooner put my mess tin on the tank track, when there was a loud bang from the tank’s Besa gun, a scream and then a body fell off the front of the tank. It was my corporal gunner and he had been shot through the leg.
With the aid of other members of the crew, we made him comfortable and sent a wireless message back to the Regimental HQ for the medical officer to be sent out. I understand that Doc Waters made two attempts to come to us, but got bogged down on both occasions.
Things were getting desperate due to the casualty’s loss of blood. So I set off for the nearest infantry unit to get a stretcher to evacuate him to their FAP (First Aid Post) and this entailed wading through a river and getting very wet. However, it was worth it, because after getting a stretcher and carrying it back to my men, we were able to get the casualty evacuated.
When I got back, I found my food still on the tank track, although it was cold and there was a big piece of mud in my rice. I scraped it out and ate the rest - one couldn’t be too fussy.
We never really found out how the corporal had managed to get himself shot, but there was an element of suspicion, especially after it was reported that when he eventually returned to Ulster, he told people that he had received his wound when out on patrol. Although I know his name, I wouldn’t want to reveal it here, in case suspicions about it being a self-inflicted wound were wrong.
As a result of the soaking I got following the wounding of the corporal, I suffered very badly from my sinus, which had not been totally cured by my visits to Newmarket. I was therefore admitted to the Field Hospital in the Beja area and following my operation there, I have never had a bit of trouble since.
After a number of days, my task force was pulled back to the Beja area and I continued my normal duties.
About this time, one Randolph Churchill arrived at the Regimental Headquarters and announced that he was being attached to the regiment. David Dawnay didn’t want him as he had no job for him, so he appointed him assistant liaison officer. My code number was JIG 6, so Randolph became JIG 6A (Able).
I didn’t see much of him and he was certainly of no assistance to me. There was great speculation as to why he had left the SAS and joined the N.I.H. It was rumoured that he had been ‘kicked out’ of the SAS for stealing a German Parachute Ration. He wasn’t very well liked by my brother officers or the other ranks, but we had to put up with him.
During the time he was with us in the Beja area, we had to ‘stand to’ at dawn and dusk to defend the camp against German Stuka aircraft attacks (we were dive bombed many times, but suffered no casualties). Randolph would never volunteer to do the dawn ‘stand to’. I never really knew what he did during the day, other than he went to the B.I.S (British Institute Store) back at the base and, because he was the PM’s son, he was able to get extra chocolate, cigs and drink. He used chocolate and ci******es to barter for eggs with the Arabs.
Every man has his talents and Randolph was a most excellent omelette cook and he provided the officers’ mess with an omelette most evenings. One day while he was on a visit to ‘C’ Squadron at Sedjerane, Col David Dawnay was strafed by German planes and received a slight head wound, which resulted in him being late back to Regimental HQ. So he was not there when Randolph was, as per usual, cooking the omelettes.
Now Randolph’s normal modus operandi was to cook everyone else’s omelettes first before starting on his own, which was always much larger than the earlier ones. But on that particular evening, after he had finished cooking for everyone else and was just putting his own out on the plate, the door of the hut flew open and David Dawnay burst in with a bandage round his head.
“Food!!!” he shouted. Poor Randolph had to give David the whole omelette and, much to our delight, Randolph only had some tea and army biscuits, because there were no eggs left.”
Sadly his wife Una died on 16th January 1986. Paddy continued to live at St Leonards until August 1999 when, as a result of declining health, he applied to become an in-pensioner of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Although it is not usually open to ex-officers, it was decided that he should be given special dispensation, because he had joined the army as a lowly trooper and worked his way up through the ranks to Major.
He settled in well at the Royal Hospital and was very happy there. He was cared for to the highest standards until his death on Saturday 2nd September 2000.
Ladies and gents this is just a snippet of this amazing mans life’s story which we hold here and dear. I am both humbled and honoured to have met his son who kindly donated his story and items some years back at an event in Carrickfergus.
Some of you will have heard me tell his story on tours here and how lucky we are as a nation that he changed his mind and went to Aldershot to join the Calvary instead of Newmarket to work with horses.
Every warriors story here, is as important as the next and we all can learn a lot from their acts of heroism, bravery and self sacrifices for our freedom.
A special thank you to Michael Lavery, like his father an impeccable man who I hold in such high esteem.
Trooper to Major WWG Paddy Lavery MBE a man who left this isle, he is both an inspiration and an example to all of Service Not Self.
Together We Will Remember Them.
