Reginald Philip Abigail

Reginald Philip Abigail was born in India^[5] on 11 August 1892, the son of Reverend W. J. Abigail.^[6][7] He was educated at Trent College and Bedford Modern School.^[6][7] At the outbreak of World War I, Abigail enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force^[8] before transferring to the Indian Army with the 2/7th Gurkhas, a regiment he left as a Captain in 1923.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

On 29 October 1923, Abigail joined the Indian Civil Service through open competition.^[14] Following in the same vein as some of the work he conducted as a Gurkha,^[15] Abigail initially worked as an author and surveyor on the townships and settlements of Burma.^[2] He remained in Burma for most of his career and was later appointed Assistant Commissioner,^[16] Officiating Undersecretary to the Government in 1925 and a Deputy Commissioner in 1931 and 1940.^[7]

Abigail was Commissioner of Arakan during the early stages of the fall of Burma in 1942.^[1] When the Japanese bombing raids on Akyab began in earnest, Abigail left his post on 30 March 1942^[17] and departed from Burma to Calcutta on board HMIS Indus,^[4] a decision that has been described by some historians as controversial particularly as his departure was a month prior to the physical invasion by the Japanese and his ship allegedly failed to return to collect other residents in Arakan.^[18] However, HMIS Indus is known to have returned to Akyab but was attacked and sunk by the Japanese on 6 April 1942.^[18]

After the fall of Burma, Abigail worked in the Ministry of Supply in New Zealand. He retired from the Civil Service in 1945 and died in London in 1969.^[19][20]

• Report on the Third Settlement of the Pa-an and Hlaingbwe Townships together with the First Settlement of Newly Surveyed Areas in the above Townships of the Thaton District, Season 1928–30. By R.P. Abigail (with maps). Published Rangoon, 1931^[21]
• Report on the Summary Settlement Operations of the Gangaw, Tilin and Saw Townships, Pakôkku District, December 1930 – May 1931. By R.P. Abigail (with maps). Published, Rangoon, 1934^[22][23][24]