Royal Naval Reserve (Trawler Section).

Awarded the Albert Medal in Bronze in the London Gazette of 14 December 1917.

Abbott was born at Nelson, Lancashire on the 18 September 1897.

The Burnley Express of 22 December 1917 reported, NELSONIAN'S DARING FATE RESCUES AIRMAN FROM WIRELESS MAST AWARDED ALBERT MEDAL Quite a sensation was caused last weekend by the publication of the deeds of three seamen, and, incidentally of the dangers of flying. The King awarded the Albert Medal in Gold to Nicholas Hath, Seaman, Royal Navy, and the Albert Medal in bronze to Richard Knoulton, Ordinary Seaman, Royal Navy, and to George Fawcett Pitts Abbott, Deck Hand, Royal Naval Reserve, Trawler Section, in recognition of them saving the life of Acting Flight Commander E. A. de Ville under remarkable circumstances. The airman who was flying in a seaplane, came in collision with the tail trellis of a shore wireless station. The airman was rendered unconscious and thrown on to one of the wings of the machine, which was wedged in the mast 300 feet above the ground. The three men knew the mast was damaged and insecure, but, without hesitation or regard for personal safety, they rescued the airman in a clever manner. Deck Hand Abbott is the son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Abbott, 176, Brunswick Street, Nelson. He enlisted when 18 years of age in August 1916. He was formerly a chain beamer at Messrs. Schofield and Preston's Clover Mill.

The citation for his Albert Medal published in the London Gazette reads, "On the 14 September 1917, a seaplane collided with a Poulsen mast and remained wedged in it, the pilot (Acting Flight Commander E. A. de Ville) being rendered unconscious and thrown out of his seat and on to one of the wings.. The three men mentioned at once climbed up the mast for 100 feet, when Rath, making use of the boatswain's chair, which moves on the inside of the mast, was hoisted up by the men at the foot of the mast to the place, over 500 feet from the ground, where the seaplane was fixed. He then climbed out on to the plane, and held the pilot until the arrival of Abbott and Knoulton, who passed the masthead gantline out to him. Having secured the pilot with the gantline Rath, with the assistance of Knoulton and Abbott, lifted him from the plane to the inside of the mast and lowered him to the ground. The three men were well aware of the damaged and insecure condition of the mast, which was bent to an angle where the seaplane had become wedged. One of the three supports of the mast was fractured, and, so far as the men knew, the mast or the seaplane could have collapsed at any time."

Abbott was presented with his medal by the King at Buckingham Palace on 16 February 1918.

He died at Higham, Lancashire in June 1977.