George was educated at Burnley Grammar School; at Ellesmere College, co Salop; at Owens College, Manchester, and at Victoria University, Manchester - entering in 1887, he qualified M.B., Ch.B. in 1903. He then acted as Surgeon on streamships travelling between England, the Far East and South American ports. He also held various assistantships at Whalley, co Lancaster and Wetherby, co York. When war broke out he was a Physician and Surgeon in practice at Tottington, Bury, Lancs. George enlisted on 22nd November 1914, and was granted a commission in the R.A.M.C., T.F. - 2nd East Lancashire Field Ambulance. He was killed whilst tending the wounded in the first line trenches during the operations on the Somme. One of his men wrote: “How much we have lost we cannot estimate. His life to us is a peerless example of all that makes a soldier and a gentleman. His soldiery regularity, intrepid zeal, noble purpose, command our respect. Cool, calm collected, he took what occasion brought, smiled and made the best of it, inspiring confidence in all. To know him was a privilege, to be conversant with him an education, to follow him a pleasure, to obey him a sweet necessity.” George was the son of Robert Hitchin (a chemist) and Dora Pickering (daughter of George Bradshaw) of 15 Ormerod Road, Burnley.