‹ Long Range Desert Group — Roll of Members

Merlyn H. “Merv” Craw

Sergeant · NZ #37112 · T1 Patrol · MM

Merlyn H. “Merv” Craw
RankSergeant
Service numberNZ #37112
PatrolT1 Patrol
Regiment32 Bn 2 NZEF
Known as“Merv”
Born1915-10-04
Died2003-01-17
HonoursMM
Campaign medalsWar Medal 1939-45, NZ War Service Medal
POW / KIAPoW — Barce, 14 Sep 1942 (escaped Italy 1943)
Recordhttps://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/88254

What this roll records

ONE TRUCK CREW, THREE MEN OF THIS ROLL, PHOTOGRAPHED TOGETHER ON THE WAY HOME. The Evening Star of 19 August 1944 printed them at Dunedin railway station under the caption: “TROOPER T. A. MILBURN (Dunedin), CORPORAL M. CRAW, M.M. (Palmerston North), TROOPER R. E. HAY (Dunedin). - These three members of a truck crew in the Long Range Desert Group were all taken prisoners of war when their truck overturned during a raid on an aerodrome at Barce in September, 1942. The two Dunedin men were placed in the same prison camp and Corporal Craw was sent to a camp further north. When Italy withdrew from the war, all three escaped, and were reunited in Cairo and came back to New Zealand in the second furlough draft.” Milburn NZ #17850, Craw NZ #37112 and Hay NZ #15302. Source: Evening Star, 19 August 1944, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

Confirmed. NZ LRDG photographs and listings identify Merlyn Craw as a Corporal.

Patrol T: "Cpl M.H. Craw ... truck T5 Te Paki III" (Barce raid, Sep 1942). Brendan O'Carroll, "The Long Range Desert Group in North Africa".

March 1942 roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy)

Barce Raid, Sept 1942 (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): Trp Leader — POW

Captured in North Africa: T1 Patrol, 14 Sep 1942, Barce. escaped Italy 1943. Source: "Names of LRDG NZ personnel captured in North African campaign" (per Brendan O’Carroll).

Barce raid (Operation Caravan, 13/14 Sep 1942), T1 Patrol: made incendiary time-bombs from gelignite and destroyed at least 10 aircraft while remaining unscathed - awarded the Military Medal. Captured when his truck crashed in Barce town (the Italians, having found an officer's battledress, at first took him for the officer). Held with five other NZ prisoners chained in pairs, moved to a Benghazi civilian jail, then shipped to Italy after ~10 days. Escaped an Italian POW camp in 1943, rejoined the LRDG and served until it disbanded in 1945. Source: B. O'Carroll 'Kiwi Scorpions' pp.146,208; Wikipedia 'Operation Caravan'.

Deeper background (2026): his war is the subject of a dedicated biography — Brendan O'Carroll, “Fighting with the Long Range Desert Group: Merlyn Craw MM's War 1940–1945” (Pen & Sword, 2023). Source: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Fighting-with-the-Long-Range-Desert-Group-Hardback/p/21273

The Kiwi Scorpions (Brendan O'Carroll): L-Sgt M. Craw, MM — farmer, Manawatu; born Auckland, 4 Oct 1915; prisoner of war 14 Sep 1942; escaped 13 Sep 1943.

On Barce airfield (13 September 1942), in the last truck, placed bombs on the aircraft not already burning and wrecked ten of them. Cut off in the town, his truck was set alight and crashed into an air-raid shelter and he was taken prisoner; he escaped a year later. Awarded the MM. Source: ‘The Barce Raid’, Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (NZ official war history).

Farmer, of Manawatu; born Auckland, 4 Oct 1915. MM; prisoner of war 14 Sep 1942, escaped 13 Sep 1943. Source: Episodes & Studies Vol. 1 (biographical notes).

Took part in the Barce Raid with T1 Patrol, 13/14 September 1942. The patrol was largely captured; he was taken prisoner of war. Source: Brendan O’Carroll, ‘The Kiwi Scorpions’ (Appendix VIII, T1 Patrol members who took part in the Barce Raid, September 1942).

His Military Medal was announced on 26 November 1942. The recommendation survives at The National Archives, Kew, in series WO 373 (War Office, Military Secretary’s Department: Recommendations for Honours and Awards for Gallantry). His file is WO 373/46/57, catalogued as “Recommendation for Award for Craw, Merlyn. Rank: Corporal. Service No: 37112. Regiment: 32 New Zealand Battalion”, with the theatre given as “Middle East Special Operations and Escapes” — the category under which LRDG awards were filed, and consistent with the Barce raid work recorded on this card. The file also gives his rank at the time of the recommendation as Corporal, which corroborates the note held here from the New Zealand LRDG photographs. Sources: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph; The National Archives Discovery catalogue.

Born 4 October 1915 at Auckland — the roll previously held only the year. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Embarkation detail from his Cenotaph record: he embarked as Private (Nominal Roll 3 p. 105); later CORPORAL, Armoured Brigade. The rank held on this card, Sergeant, is his LRDG rank; promotion after embarkation was the rule rather than the exception, so the two are not in conflict. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record 88254.

HIS MILITARY MEDAL, CONFIRMED AND DATED. London Gazette, 24 November 1942, Supplement 35799, page 5142, under “The Military Medal.”: “No. 37112 Corporal Merlyn Craw, New Zealand Military Forces.” He was a CORPORAL at the time. Source: The London Gazette.

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Where this comes from

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Not By Strength But By Guile