Chilton left school at the age of 14, and after a brief apprenticeship making electric signs, he joined the BBC as a messenger boy. A year later he became an assistant in their gramophone library. He had a passion for jazz music, and in 1937 formed the BBC Boys' Jazz band. However, major international recognition came with his science fiction trilogy Journey into Space which he wrote and produced between 1953 and 1958. His interest in space travel also led him to join the British Interplanetary Society. He spent his last years acting as a tour guide for The Original London Walks company.