George Pinnock Merz was a Lieutenant in the Australian Flying Corps, and served in the Melbourne University Rifles pre-war. He was born in Prahran but enlisted from Ballarat on 27th November 1914 where he was a 23 year old, unmarried, medical practitioner. He joined the Australian Navy & Military Expeditionary Force against the Germans m Papua and New Guinea. On the completion of that task he re-enlisted on 18th May 1915, and was posted to the AFC Half Flight for service in Mesopotamia. On July 30th 1915 whilst flying an operation, his plane's engine failed and he made a forced landing in the desert about 20 miles south-east of Nasariyah, Iraq. He was attacked and killed by local Bedouins. His name is recorded on the Basra War Memorial, Iraq.