THE ALLIED SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION - UK is dedicated to creating the ALLIED SPECIAL FORCES MEMORIAL GROVE at the NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM which will commemorate the men and women who sadly lost their lives whilst serving with ALLIED SPECIAL FORCES during World War 2 and in the Conflicts since.

MERLYN CRAW MM
Courtesy of Brendan O'Carroll
Merlyn Craw MM Long Range Desert Group Merlyn Craw MM Merlyn Craw. The War Years as recounted by Brendan O'Carroll, the author of "Kiwi Scorpions". I have only known Merlyn for the last six years, yet I feel I have known him all his life. My introduction to him came about when I was undertaking research for my book about New Zealanders in the Long Range Desert Group. This unit was one of the first special forces of WW2 and operated behind enemy lines in Libya. The men who served had to self reliant, tough and hardy, as they had to fight and survive in one of the most arid places on earth. Merlyn's outdoor background and temperament seemed well suited to this type of work. I wrote to him asking about his time in the LRDG and he kindly responded with a wealth of information. This led on to a volume of correspondence and a number of wonderful visits to his seaside home in Te Kaha. My family would accompany me and they would walk along the beach with Merlyn's faithful dog Jack, while I interviewed Merlyn about the war years. This was always followed by a lovely meal of fresh fish or crayfish. It was a great treat for us, and we really enjoyed those visits and I will miss those special chats we had. He said he had told me things he had never even told his family before. As with most veterans after the war he was reluctant to speak of such things to those who weren't there, especially of the bad times; thinking that the people at home would never understand, as they hadn't been through it. He said he would never forget it, and there were men that may have saved his life, or he may have saved theirs. The bond between them remains until they are gone. Merlyn regularly attended LRDG reunions. T Patrol group photo in March 1941 with Merlyn Craw MM in Pith Helmet My book Kiwi Scorpions mentions him many times where his activities are explained in full, but I will outline a brief history of his war service. He went overseas in November 1940 and volunteered for the LRDG in early 1941. He served with distinction with that unit until his capture after the Barce Raid in September 1942. He was particularly skilful at bomb making and demolitions, an art he said learnt on his father's farm before the war. On the Barce raid he destroyed 10 planes with his homemade bombs and was given orders to blow the Barce town safe, but his capture prevented that from happening. He spent a year suffering the privations of an Italian POW camp before he escaped, and with the help of Italian peasants he made his way to allied lines. After which he was sent home on furlough for six months. Then he returned to Italy in 1944 with the Divisional Cavalry to serve with armoured cars. Some time after, due to a dispute with his superiors he went AWOL for six weeks, and sought out the Italians who had helped him to escape the year before. Later while wandering the streets of Rome, by pure chance he met members of the British section of the LRDG, they invited him to rejoin the unit. He did so without notifying 2nd NZEF and remained with the LRDG in Italy till the end of the war. He learnt mountain climbing, snow skiing, and undertook seven parachute jumps. Amazingly he was never brought to account for is disappearance from the Div. Cavalry. But that was typical Merlyn, a real survivor. Merlyn's total overseas service was 4 years 189 days. He won the Military Medal for gallantry during the Barce raid and other actions. I will quote the official citation that sums up the sort of soldier he was. "On the night of 13/14th September 1942, Corporal Craw's patrol entered Barce aerodrome to attack aircraft. Corporal Craw, in the last truck, was detailed to place short-delay bombs on the aircraft which had not been burnt by small arms fire. He carried out this task at great personal risk, as aircraft were on fire and blowing up all round him, and destroyed 10 single handed. In two previous occasions when on patrol, Corporal Craw displayed great gallantry. Once near Benghazi, his truck successfully attacked a vehicle carrying twenty troops, destroying the vehicle and killing the majority of the occupants. In a later engagement near Matruh he saved the life of his officer, Capt. Wilder, by his prompt action in picking up this officer who was on foot, while Corporal Craw's truck was under heavy and concentrated fire from three 47 mm guns. As a non commissioned officer he always did extremely good work on patrol, and in action was cool and confident." Though he was a tough soldier in a harsh environment, he was also a compassionate man. On one occasion after a small battle, Merlyn, because he was also trained as a medical orderly, made great endeavours to save the life of a badly wounded Italian He looked after him for five days as he lay in the back of his truck. Though he didn't need to do this, because while behind the lines it was not the LRDG's job to look after the enemy wounded or take prisoners. But Merlyn for some reason took it upon himself to take care of this man, who without his help would have certainly died. Another time he was ordered to dispose of two prisoners who got caught up in a special secret mission the patrol was on. Contrary to his orders, instead of killing the men, he drove them out into the desert, gave them some water and a compass bearing, far enough away so that mission could not be compromised. Merlyn was a real gentleman from a generation the like of which we will never see again. I am so glad I was able to gather his incredible LRDG stories and find him a rightful place in the history books before all was lost to time. Merlyn I salute you, a wonderful man and great warrior, it has been a very special for me to have known you. Barce Raid veterans with Brendan O'Carroll taken at the NZ LRDG reunion in 1999. Left to Right: - Keith Tippett MM, Brendan O'Carroll, Keith Yealands and Merlyn Craw MM. A Kiwi Scorpion now at rest.

"They shall not grow old as we are left to grow old, Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, At the going down of the sun and in the morning - We will remember them."

MERLYN CRAW MM