George F. Morton (Lt.-Col.) born in September 1881, was a 33 year old municipal officer at the time of his appointment to the A.I.F. as a commissioned officer. On May 8th 1915 he sailed from Melbourne on the Euripides to serve with the 23rd Battalion, but during the voyage he was admitted to the ship’s hospital suffering from pleurisy and an inguinal hernia. His service record notes that he declined an operation to repair the hernia so it was determined that he should be returned to Australia. He disembarked from the Beltana at Melbourne on October 13th and his appointment was terminated in December.