William Bilton was born in Morpeth, Northumberland in 1915, the son of Gordon and Jane Bilton. He joined the Royal Navy as an Engine Room Artificer Apprentice in 1931, completed a five year Apprenticeship and served in the cruisers HMS ORION and HMS SHROPSHIRE.

He joined the Submarine Base HMS ELFIN at Blyth for the Submarine Course and the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE in the Far East during WWII. He served in submarines in Portsmouth & Londonderry in the late 1940s but no detail is available of which submarines he served in.

By the late 1940s, he has been promoted to Senior Commissioned Engineer, and in 1950 was serving in HMS DOLPHIN for instructional duties.  On 16 April 1951, he joined HMS AFFRAY at HMS DOLPHIN, with his Training Class, for sea training experience.  AFFRAY was lost with all hands in the English Channel near the Hurd Deep overnight 16/17 April 1951, following an accident whilst dived.

William Bilton was the husband of Anita Florette Bilton (née Pons) and father of a son aged 3.