Fighting with the Long Range Desert Group: Merlyn Craw MM's War 1940–1945

by Brendan O'Carroll

Formed in 1940 the Long Range Desert Group was the first Allied Special Forces unit established to operate behind German and Italian lines in North Africa. Its officers and men were volunteers recruited from British and Commonwealth units. Merlyn Craw was serving with the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force when he joined the LRDG in 1941. He took part in numerous missions in the desert. The navigational driving and fighting skills of the LRDG were legendary and they were frequently responsible for transporting Stirling’s SAS detachments on raids.Merlyn’s luck ran out when he was captured on the Barce raid in September 1942, but he escaped twice, the second time making it back to Allied lines. Sent home on leave, he returned to Italy with the New Zealand Army. After a ‘disagreement’ he went AWOL and rejoined the LRDG with no questions asked, serving until the end of the war.Drawing on interviews with Merlyn and other former LRDG veterans, the author has created a vivid picture of this exceptional and highly decorated fighting man. Readers cannot fail to be impressed by the courage and ruthless determination of Merlyn Craw MM and his comrades.

Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2022

About the author

Brendan O'Carroll is an Irish BAFTA-winning writer, producer, comedian, author, actor and director. A popular comedian in Ireland since the early 1990s, O'Carroll is best known internationally for portraying the foul-mouthed Irish matriarch Agnes Brown in Mrs. Brown's Boys. O'Carroll has written seven novels, including The Mammy (1994), The Chisellers (1995), The Granny (1996), The Scrapper (originally published as "Sparrows Trap", 1997) and The Young Wan (2003); a number of these have been translated into 12 languages and have been best sellers worldwide. He has also written four films and nine comedy shows. These include The Course (1995), Grandad's Sure Lilly's Still Alive (1997), The Last Wedding (1999), Mourning Mrs. Brown (2000), Mrs. Brown Rides Again (2004), For the Love of Mrs. Brown (2007), How Now Mrs. Brown Cow? (2009), and Good Mourning Mrs. Brown (2011).