George was born in Wolverhampton in about 1889, the son of John and Elizabeth Giddings. They were living in Dudley Street in 1891, but by 1901, George and his brothers Samuel, Frederick and William, were in the Wednesfield Cottage Homes. George, Frederick and William were first admitted on 4 August 1897, when their father was in the workhouse, but were discharged to their mother on the same day. On 8 March 1898, they were admitted to the Cottage Homes again, as their father had died, and George was not discharged to his mother again until 5 February 1902. George married Lottie Pipes in Wolverhampton in 1915. They had a son, George, in November 1915, and a daughter, Beatrice, on 1 July 1917. Unfortunately, George died not long after his birth.

On 11 December 1915, George enlisted in the 300th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery (service number 127284). His address was given as 8 Dale Road, Wolverhampton, and his trade as window cleaner. He served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He served as a Late Warder at No. 3 Prisoners of War Camp, Sidi Bishr, Alexandria. Unfortunately, his service records initially suggest that he committed suicide on 24 August 1919. However, this is crossed out and replaced with “accidentally shot himself while on duty”. The official report states he received a bullet wound through the brain, which was “on duty apparently accidental, no evidence of intention, and no one else to blame”. There are many additional witness statements on George’s service record. George is buried in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial cemetery, and is remember on the memorial of St Paul’s Church.