BATTLE OF BRITAIN ‘LACE’
AFA-SA recently proudly presented a unique storytelling event at the April Combined Ex-Services Mess in Adelaide, where Group Captain Greg Weller engaged with 102-year-old Ray Merrill DFC, one of South Australia’s few remaining RAAF WW2 Bomber Command veterans.
The event honoured Anzac and commemorated the 80th Anniversary of VE Day in early May. It was an incredible poignant yet entertaining 30 minutes as Greg Weller spoke about Ray and then brought out seven key experiences where Ray recalled key moments in his service with No 218 Squadron, a RAF Bomber Command unit. Ray was a tail gunner completing 36 missions with the same crew flying the Shorts Stirling and Avro Lancaster bombers.
Ray recalled his D-Day experiences where he participated in a spoof mission in the early hours of 6 June 1944 for the D-Day landings in a Stirling Bomber where he dispensed window or small pieces of metal off the coast of Calais to confuse German radars by simulating an invasion force and divert German attention away from the Normandy beaches. He released window through the bomb bay at six second intervals to spoof German coastal radars as the aircraft flew repeated approaches to the coastline for several hours. Called Operation Glimmer, the unheralded operation proved successful misleading German forces and leadership to believe an invasion was occurring at Calais resulting in two German Panzer Divisions remaining in the area for several weeks. On their return to base, Ray and his crew observed the real invasion fleet crossing the English Channel for Normandy – a spectacular sight he says he will never forget.
Ray also told the story of a night mission where he had a close encounter with a German Me 109 fighter. Ray’s Lancaster was just outside a searchlight cone and 20m away was the Me 109 fighter in the searchlight cone. Ray could see the pilot’s face. Ray elected to play it safe and did not fire his tail gun believing that if he missed, they were certain to be shot down by the fighter. It was the closest he ever got to the enemy. He later profoundly recalled it wasn’t his job to shoot the fighters down – he was there to protect the crew and get them home safely.
This was no more typified than on a night bombing mission when Ray’s Lancaster flying at 10,000 feet suddenly got hit by a bunch of incendiary bombs dropped from a Lancaster above them. The small bombs crashed into the aircraft’s fuselage and started to ignite threatening to cause catastrophic failure. Ray, sitting in the tail turret, got up and threw the igniting incendiaries out of the fuselage through open bomb doors and holes in the fuselage from which they had entered.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross – the Citation stating for “Skill and fortitude in operations against the enemy.” He was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive the award from the King. But he was torn – the presentation was to be made on the same day a favourite greyhound of his, a one-eyed dog called Bluey, was scheduled for a big race at Sheffield. If it drew the barrier, it was unbeatable. Needless to say, King and country did not win on the day but Bluey did and so did Ray and his mates at the track. His CO berated him and the DFC eventually found its way to Ray back in Australia sometime later. Ray discharged from the RAAF in late 1945 as a Flying Officer.
A true character and loved member of our World War 2 veteran community, Ray shared these stories with the Combined Ex-Services Mess at Torrens Parade Ground with incredible detail and character bringing awe, laughing and the greatest of respect from attendees.
In his closing words, Ray stressed he was not a hero but to all of us there, there is no doubt that Ray Merrill is an incredible gentleman and a hero – one of a special generation that our nation will be forever indebted to for their incredible sacrifice in World War 2.
Captions –
102-year-old Ray Merrill DFC with GPCAPT Greg Weller after his story telling event for ANZAC Day 2025.
Ray Merrill as a FLGOFF with his favourite greyhound Bluey who won big at the races on the day Ray should have been at Buckingham Palace receiving his DFC
