This thread remembered me to this story so typical for Lt.-Colonel Paddy Maine..
In 1944, the newly formed SAS (Special Air Services) used Hylands House as their Headquarters. Mrs Hanbury cheerfully accepted their presence and was regularly invited to dine in the Officers’ Mess. On one memorable occasion, Captain Paddy Blair Maine (who went on to become this country’s most decorated soldier) attempted to drive a Jeep up the Grand Staircase for a bet. The incident caused much commotion and Christine Hanbury dispatched the men to bed with instructions to remove the Jeep in the morning when they had clearer heads. The Jeep had to be dismantled before it could be removed.
Source
https://hylandsestate.co.uk/explore/...house/history/