George Voelcker was born on 26 October 1898, the son of Arthur Francis and Katarine Isobel Voelcker. He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet at the Royal Navy College, Osborne on the Isle of Wight in September 1911. In August 1914 he was appointed to the Battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES, the Flag Ship of the 5th Battle Squadron on the outbreak of WWI.

He joined Submarines in November 1917 and was promoted to Sub Lieutenant. He was appointed to Submarine N1 as Third Hand in May 1918 and to Submarine C20 as First Lieutenant in July 1918, followed by H4 as First Lieutenant in October 1918. Voelcker was promoted to Lieutenant on 15 February 1919. He then served as First Lieutenant of H48 and L71, before appointment to the Commanding Officers’ Qualifying Course in August 1923.

After time in General Service for his ‘Big Ship’ time in the Battleship HMS RAMILLIES in December 1924, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on 15 February 1927 while in command of L53. He was next loaned to the Royal Australian Navy and was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMAS PLATYPUS in February 1929. In July 1931 he was serving in HMS PERSEUS in Command on the China Station to which he had been appointed in October 1930.

George Voelcker was promoted to Commander on 30 June 1933 and, in January 1935, he was serving in L23 in Command (2nd Submarine Flotilla) to which he had been appointed in August 1933. Next, he was sent to the Far East in December 1936, when he was appointed to the cruiser HMS CUMBERLAND, 5th Cruiser Squadron, China Fleet, as Staff Officer (Operations) to the Commander-in-Chief, China Station.

He was promoted to Captain on 30th June 1939. He was then appointed to HMS PRESIDENT in London ‘for Miscellaneous Services’ in September 1939, followed by an appointment to command HMS ELFIN at Blyth, which was a Submarine Training Base. Subsequently, he was appointed to command the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE (8th Submarine Flotilla ) at Gibraltar in March 1941. His appointment in command of the Cruiser HMS CHARYBDIS followed in June 1942. He died when his ship was sunk off the Channel Islands on Saturday, 23 October 1943.