Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Solomon and Agnes Pasco; brother of Anges Louisa Werner of Rewanui, Greymouth, New Zealand

He was descirbe as having a lovable nature and an upright disposition and very interested in the study of nature esoecially entomology and biology

Headstone inscription says 'Loved by all'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

François Berthout, Australia and NZ in WWI

Today, it is with deep gratitude and with great respect that I would like to pay a very respectful tribute to Sapper number 1511 Merlin Owen Pasco who fought in the 4th Division, Signal Company of the Australian Engineers and who was killed in action 102 years ago,on August 6, 1918 at the age of 25 on the Somme front.

Merlin Owen Pasco was born on April 7, 1892 in Kumara, Westland, New Zealand and was the son of Solomon and Agnes Pasco. After living a few years in Kumara, Merlin and his parents moved to Queenstown. Before the war, Merlin worked as baker.

Merlin Owen Pascoe was a very passionate entomologist and he created a very important collection of New Zealand Lepidoptera in the early 1900s. His collection had the distinction of having very numerous specimens which he captured, collected and studied in and around Queenstown and included many specimens of moths. He was one of the most productive collectors of type specimens of beetle species described by Thomas Broun who was also an entomologist. Broun acknowledged the research assistance Pasco gave him and named the beetle species Pterostichus pascoi in Pasco's honor.

Pasco was the first entomologist to collect on Tooth Peaks, Wakatipu in Otago, New Zealand, and here are five new species that Pasco discovered in New Zealand, the Aponotoreas dissimilis, Tatosoma fasciata, Chloroclystis magnimaculata, Declana sinuosa, Orocrambus cultus.Merlin was also passionate about botany and nature had a very big place in his life and in his heart, then came the time of war.
at the outbreak of the war, Pasco volunteered to serve in the New Zealand Armed Forces but was turned down. He then traveled to Australia and joined the Australian 2nd Division.

Enlisted on November 19, 1914 at Blackboy Hill,Australia, in the 16th Australian Infantry Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement, he embarked with his unit from Fremantle, Western Australia, on board HMAT A50 Itonus on February 22, 1915 and sailed for Egypt where he was disembarked on December 30, 1915 in Alexandria and joined the British Expeditionary Force on June 1, 1916 then he embarked with his battalion on board the HMNT Canada for France where he arrived on June 9 in Marseilles and suffered from Influenza.

After his recovery, Merlin was transferred to the 4th Division, Signal Company of the Australian Engineers on December 16, 1916 then he joined his unit which was in the Somme sector, in Corbie, on September 11, 1917.

after his recovery, Merlin was transferred to the 4th Division, Signal Company of the Australian Engineers on December 16, 1916 then he joined his unit which was in the Somme sector, in Corbie, on September 11, 1917.

Merlin served with great courage in the Somme, unfortunately, less than a year later, on August 6, 1918, while he was resting, the Germans opened fire with their artillery around 6:00 am and Merlin was asleep in a tent when the bombardment commenced, a shell burst close by and a shell splinter hit Merlin as he slept.He managed to exit the tent but collapsed and died almost immediately at Fontoy Wood, near Corbie and was buried the same afternoon, he was 25 years old.

Today Merlin Owen Pasco rests in peace with his friends and brothers in arms at La Neuville British Cemetery, Corbie, Somme, and his grave bears the following inscription "Loved by all".

Merlin, you who were a young man full of life, a man who loved nature and the beauties of the world, today you rest in peace here, in the peaceful fields of the Somme, in this land which has suffered so much, the life is reborn in a land flowered by roses and poppies which gently, peacefully, sway in the light breeze of the wind, flowers of hope and peace but also flowers of Remembrance, they grow with strength and gentleness on these soils which have known so much fury and pain and on these flowers, near you, fly beautiful butterflies, in this silent nature that you have studied and which had no secrets for you.Under the sun, which high in the sky stretches its rays for you, on your grave, lighting up your name so that it shines and lives forever, in these fields and in these flowery cemeteries, will live forever your memory and your history and that of all your friends near you, who rest in peace in the silence that only the song of the birds comes to break to make us hear the echo of life, gone but never forgotten, it is in our hearts that you live today.Your memory, your story, like the most beautiful flower, will never fade, you will never be forgotten. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Merlin.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,we will remember him,we will remember them,now and forever.🌺