George Hollett was born in Liverpool on 10 February 1924, the son of Thomas and Susannah Hollett (née Horrocks) of Liverpool. He joined the Royal Navy and trained and qualified as Stoker 1st Class. He volunteered to serve in submarines and in X-Craft.

After joining HMS VARBEL and completing X-Craft training he was selected for the passage crew of HMS X9. Overnight 15/16 September 1943, X9 was being towed by HMS SYRTIS enroute to the Kaafjord in Norway to attack the German Pocket Battleship SCHARNHORST. On being ordered to surface on the morning of 16 September, X9 failed to surface and was presumed lost on tow. It was later determined that the manilla towing cable had parted and the additional weight of the waterlogged cable had dragged X9 below safe depth.

George Hollett is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 82, Column 1, on the 12th Submarine Flotilla Memorials in the Kaafjord Cemetery, Finmark Fylke, Norway, at Kylesku and at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.