George was born on 6 January 1897 in the borough of Edmonton, Middlesex. The eighth child of Lewis and Jemima (née Martin) Green, with 5 sisters and 2 brothers completing the family unit.

He joined the Royal Navy on 11 September 1912 when he crossed the gangway of HMS IMPREGNABLE, the “Boy Training Ship” berthed in Devonport dockyard, and became a Boy Second Class. Three months later he was drafted to HMS GANGES in Shotley, Suffolk, on 13 December where on 31 March 1913 he was selected as and became a Boy Signalman to go on and complete the course on 29 August when he was drafted to HMS PEMBROKE ll in Chatham. A month later on 30 September 1913 he was drafted to HMS RUSSELL where 16 months later he was advanced to Ordinary Signalman and in July 1915 advanced to Signalman.

On 1 May 1916 he left RUSSELL after volunteering for the submarine service to join HMS DOLPHIN in Gosport on 2 May 1916 for 6 months and on 17 December 1916 he was drafted to HMS MAIDSTONE, the Submarine Depot Ship based in Harwich, to serve on HMS E36.

On 19 January 1917 at 0700 E36 and E43 left Harwich to patrol in the North Sea near Terschelling Island off the Northern coast of Holland. Due to bad weather and a heavy swell from the North East it was decided in the early afternoon to split up and continue independantly at best speed set by the local weather conditions. By 1500 they had lost visual contact when E43 lost her bridge canopy and had to turn South to fit the replacement. At 1950 as E43 came round to head North East an unknown submarine appeared out of the darkness and spray crossing the bow of E43. Engine and rudder were used in avoidance action but E43 struck the unknown vessel about 10 feet forward of the stern and went over the top of her. It was only later when E36 did not report in that it was realised that E43 may have collided with E36 which had sunk very quickly with no sign of any survivors. The 31 crew members of E36 had vanished with the submarine.

Signalman George Lewis Green, Svc No. J20410, “Crossed The Bar” with 30 of his shipmates.  He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial on Panel 22.