George Williams was born on 17 February 1879 in Holt, Wiltshire, the second eldest of nine surviving children of Charles Williams, a haulier, and his wife Julia (née Aland).  His baptism was recorded on 13 April 1879.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 28 June 1895 at the Portland Boys’ training ship, HMS BOSCAWEN, stating a date of birth of 17 February 1880, and giving his previous occupation as labourer.  He then moved to the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS RESOLUTION where he was rated Ordinary Seaman on his (claimed) 18th birthday. In July 1898 he was drafted to the protected cruiser HMS DIADEM and rated Able Seaman in April 1899. A draft to VERNON led to Leading Torpedoman qualification and he was rated Leading Seaman in March 1901, returning to sea in the armoured cruiser HMS CRESSY on the China Station until March 1904. He had been promoted to Petty Officer in July 1903.  After time back in Portsmouth, he joined the protected cruiser HMS HERMES on the East Indies station and then at the Cape of Good Hope, returning to Portsmouth in October 1908.  He served during 1909 and 1910 in the destroyer depot ship HMS SAPPHIRE II (later renamed IMPERIEUSE) at Portland, and the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS BRITANNIA during 1911/12, before joining the torpedo gunboat HMS DRYAD, tender to the navigation school.

He joined HMS DOLPHIN on 10 July 1914, transferring in November to HMS MAIDSTONE, the principal depot ship of the Eighth Submarine Flotilla at Harwich, where he was assigned to the newly commissioned E15.  On 27 March 1915, the depot ship HMS ADAMANT left Harwich in company with HMS E11, E14 and E15 to join the Mediterranean Submarine Flotilla. E15 was the first submarine to attempt to penetrate the Dardanelles in order to be able to disrupt the Turkish supply lines to the Gallipoli peninsula.  The attempt failed when unexpected currents forced the boat aground, and she came under Turkish attack. The Commanding Officer and five of the crew were killed on 17 April 1915 and the remainder of the crew, including Petty Officer Williams, were taken prisoner. He died from illness on 4 December 1916 at Angora (Ankara), Turkey. 

He was buried locally, but his grave was not located and he is commemorated at Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq.

He left a widow, Annie Ethel, and two children.