Merv Reece joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in February 1943. He was the third generation in his family to enlist during wartime. His father, uncle and grandfather had all served in World War I.
After training in Australia, Merv qualified as an aircraft fitter and flight rigger before embarking for overseas service. He arrived in the United Kingdom in March 1945 and was posted to No. 461 Squadron, RAAF in April.
Merv was at Nottingham, on his way to Edinburgh, when he learned the war in Europe had ended, on 8 May 1945.
After the war, Merv was posted to No. 10 Squadron, RAAF. In Germany, he worked with No. 453 Spitfire Squadron, RAAF, the first British squadron based in Berlin. The squadron later moved to Wunstorf airfield near Hanover, where it disbanded in January 1946.
Merv recalled the utter devastation wreaked on German cities and the starvation the people were facing. He believed that the German people were ‘just like us’ and had been caught up in the machinations of the ruling regime. He described their mental state after the war as one of ‘bewilderment’ as they faced an uncertain future.
Returning to Australia in March 1946 and taking his discharge in May, Merv was unable to return to his pre-war job at Rothwells because it had been filled. After further training as a panel beater, he rejoined the RAAF, serving from 1949 to 1956 as a leading aircraftman.