George Baker was born in Rathdrum, County Wicklow, Ireland on 15 March 1888, the son of George William and Nellie Baker (née Huntingford). He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Artificer on 21 December 1903 and served as an Engine Room Artificer in HMS LANCASTER, HMS PATROL, the battleships HMS MAGNIFICENT, CAESAR & DOMINION and HMS FORWARD. He was promoted to Artificer Engineer on 1 December 1916 and on 24 July 1918 Acting Mate (E) George Baker was appointed to the battleship HMS ROYAL OAK.

On 15 April 1920 he was appointed to HMS ROYAL ARTHUR for submarines. The date of his joining HMS K5 is yet to be established, but he was onboard when K5 was lost with all hands whilst diving to attack battle cruisers during a Tactical Exercise in the Western Approaches on Thursday 20 January 1921. The reason for the loss was not established but it was thought that the submarine accidentally exceeded her safe diving depth. As the Engineer of K5 was Edward Bowles, it is probable that George Baker was in the process of taking over as the Engineer and was onboard for familiarisation.

George Baker was the husband of Ethel Baker (née Palmer) of Rochester, Kent and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial on Panel No. 32.