The son of Major-General Herbert Edward Stacy Abbott, he was born in British India at Alipore. He was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, before attending the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Abbott was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 17 August 1874, and was sent to India in 1877. He served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War as an assistant engineer. Following the war he was posted to the Punjab where he worked in the Punjab Public Works Department. He was promoted to captain in August 1885 and later served with the Hazara Expedition of 1888, with promotion to major coming in 1894. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in January 1896 for his actions with the Chitral Relief Force, and was later promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1901.
