He was the son of James William and Lily Eliza Chaplin of Grays, Essex.

Whilst working at East Tilbury he was in the Sample Room and Workshop.

George died on Saturday 3rd June 1944, aged 22, in a flying accident off the coast of West Africa. He died when the Sunderland he was flying as 2nd Pilot was caught in a typhoon and crashed into a lake near Lagos. He did his Pilot training in Canada.