4040321 Gnr/Sig Alfred Abbiss

Imagine the surprise John Abbiss of Wolverhampton had when he logged into my website and saw a photo of his late Father!

George Abbis was a signaller in Charlie Troop, He appears in the photograph of command post signalling team with Lt.Ron Foulds. Judging from his uniform and signallers trade badge (crossed flags lower sleeve) and his cap badge this excellent studio portrait would have been taken some time in 1943.

The second photograph is with a group of comrades, Alfred is in the centre rear, the soldier in front of him is
NCO signaller Bdr Cyril ‘Snowy’ Brannan unfortunately I cannot put a name to the others.

It appears that when John was a youngster his Father took them on holiday to Bardon Mill, which is not far from Ridley Hall, 181 Field Regiment spent almost twelve months in this area, training in 1943 and much of the surrounding area and moor land would have been familiar to Alfred.

John never realised the significance of these visits until he read my book, Guns and Bugles, when it became clear that his Dad was visiting one of his wartime haunts.