George Dance was born on 5 November 1887 in Wargrave, Berkshire, England, the son of George Dance, a Police Constable (later Police Inspector in Brill, Thame, Oxfordshire) and Caroline Dance. Before joining the Royal Navy he was employed as a labourer.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class at HMS IMPREGNABLE on 29 February 1904 signing on for a twelve year Continuous Service engagement starting on 5 November 1905. He was drafted to HMS LION on 5 March 1904 where he was rated Boy 1st Class Signalman on 6 October 1904. From 1 January 1905 to 3 February 1905 he served in HMS IMPREGNABLE before being drafted to HMS VIVID (the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport) on 4 February 1905 before being drafted to HMS VICTORY I (the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth) on 6 May 1905. Three weeks later he was drafted to the battleship HMS BARFLEUR on 28 May 1905. His next draft is unclear but it may have been either the cruiser HMS DIADEM or HMS DIAMOND on 28 November 1906. He was rated Ordinary Signalman on 15 January 1907 and Signalman on 1 October 1907.

Returning to HMS VICTORY I on 18 August 1908 his next draft was to the cruiser HMS GRAFTON on 1 November 1908 followed by the cruiser HMS FORTE on 14 April 1909. George Dance was drafted ashore to HMS VICTORY I on 17 May 1910 returning to sea on 19 August 1910 to the battleship HMS REVENGE in which he served until 26 February 1911. HMS VICTORY I then followed before joining HMS HERMES, the Flag Ship at the Cape of Good Hope, on 8 March 1911. He served in HERMES until 16 April 1913.

After five months in HMS VICTORY I he was drafted to HMS DOLPHIN on 3 September 1913 ‘for Submarine training’. George Dance volunteered for service in the Royal Australian Navy when the RAN decided to develop a submarine arm and he was ‘Lent to R.A.N. for service with Submarine AE1 for three years from 17.11.1913’. He was drafted to HMAS PENGUIN ‘for Submarine AE1’ on 28 February 1914. He was serving in HMAS AE1 when it was lost from unknown causes off New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago on 14 September 1914.

He was the husband of Annie E Dance (née Trickey) of 28, Queen Street, Emsworth, Hampshire, who was listed as his Next of Kin. George and Annie had been married in Portsmouth in the 1st Quarter of 1914. George Dance was twenty six years old when he died. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 4.

Note. Annie Dance was later remarried to Thomas Hinstridge in the 3rd Quarter of 1918. In 1990 there was a surviving niece, Mrs Jean Petty of Gosport, Hants.