Mervyn served 36 years in the RAF, qualified A1 Staff Navigator 1958, Navigation Instructor, Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering, (Mechanical), retiring as Sqn Ldr. Ten years were spent flying as navigator on night fighters during the Cold War period. He was also a qualified navigation instructor. He then transferred to the Engineering Branch, serving in various locations, again mainly with fighters. A break in RAF service in the 70s saw Mervyn as Base Manager with Airwork Ltd at Seeb, Oman, looking after aircraft of the Sultan's Air Force. Back in uniform in 1979 saw Mervyn at RNAS Culdrose, as Trials Officer with the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment. It was here he first met Chris Bryning, then flying the Sea King helicopter. Finally retiring from military aviation in 1988, Mervyn came into the law almost by accident, joining Borlase & Venning at Penzance to run the Probate Department. He moved to the Helston office when that opened in 1999. B&V ceased to exist on 1 January 2005 and the Helston office became Borlase & Company.