George was born in 1831 to George and Mary Melhuish at Poughill, near Crediton. His father was a labourer. George joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry in the Plymouth Division. In 1854, he sailed aboard the ‘Princess Royal’ for the Crimea, and was present at the fall of Sebastopol and the taking of Kertch, Kinburn, and other places during the war. He also served on the West Coast of Africa. He was also with the Royal Marines Battalion in China when news of the Mutiny in India was received, and proceeded there in H.M.S. ‘Shannon,’ commanded by Captain Peel, having on board Lord Elgin, the then English Ambassador, and his staff. They remained at Fort William, Calcutta, for some time, and then returned to China, serving in the China Expedition of 1857-59, including the blockading on the Canton River, the landing before, storming and capture of Canton, and subsequent engagements, being severely wounded at the storming of the Peioho Forts in June, 1859. He was awarded the Crimean medal and one bar, the Turkish medal, and the China medal and one bar.
Due to this injury, George was discharged with an annual pension. He married Mary Ann in 1861 and together they had seven children. In the 1871 census they were living at Clarence Street, Plymouth with George working as a labourer. The family moved to Launceston in 1872 where George took up the work of a gamekeeper, for Mr. J. H. Deakin of the Werrington Park Estate. In 1881 the family were living at Raddons Cottage, Werrington, but George was at the time of the census that year, shown as being unemployed. By 1901 the family had moved to what was called Priory New Road, Launceston with George still working at the age of 70, as a Stone Quarryman.
George died after contracting pneumonia on Sunday May 5th, 1907, aged 77.
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