George Faucett Pitts Abbott, GC (18 September 1897 – 10 June 1977) was a British sailor and a recipient of the Albert Medal, later exchanged for the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational Courage, gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, ...

Early life

Abbott was born in

Nelson, Lancashire Nelson is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, it had a population of 29,135 in the 2011 Census. Nelson is north of Burnley and south-west of Colne. Nelson developed as a mill town ...

, educated at Whitefield School, and was working in a textile factory on the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, eventually enlisting into the

Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...

(Trawler Section) in August 1916.

Albert Medal

On 14 December 1917, dated 12 December 1917, Abbott was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

for his actions on 14 September 1917. His citation read: Abbott was presented with his medal by the King at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

on 16 February 1918.

Post-war life

After the war Abbot moved to

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

, and during the Second World War worked in a munitions factory. He married Alice Emily Harris in 1946, and had a daughter. He ran a fish and chip shop in

Northfleet Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebbsf ...

, Kent, before moving back to Nelson in 1961 to run a grocery shop. He died in

Higham, Lancashire Higham is a village in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England, south of Pendle Hill. The civil parishes in England, civil parish is named Higham with West Close Booth. The village is north-east of Padiham and about south-west of Nelson ...

, in 1977.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, George Recipients of the Albert Medal (lifesaving) 1897 births 1977 deaths People from Nelson, Lancashire Royal Navy personnel of World War I Royal Naval Reserve personnel