He was awarded the Commander in Chief's Certificate for Meritorious Service on 15 June 1942 and the British Empire Medal (Military Division) 15 Dec 1944.
His original Home Guard enrollment form.
Jack was the brother of Auxilier Dick Merrick
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icklesham Patrol | Patrol Leader | 20 Aug 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Bethany School, Goudhurst, Kent
Fruit farmer
After the war he gained a reputation as a "rebel farmer" by objecting to the bureaucracy and dictatorial measures being imposed by the various agricultural marketing boards. He was even imprisoned in Brixton Prison for 14 days for refusing to pay the Potato Marketing Board's levy of £50. Someone paid the fine for him and on 25 Feb 1965 the Daily Mirror recorded he was "Shocked, disappointed and upset. I am glad to be out of prison but not in this way. I did not want the board to get the money".
He lost his life by being swept overboard by a freak wave while trying to help rescue a stricken yacht on Camber Sands. There is a small plaque on the wall of Ickelsham Church remembering him and he is buried with his wife in the Churchyard.
In 2013 his son, Philip Merricks OBE, was able to represent Jack's Auxiliary Unit role for the first time by marching past the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day.