Abyssinia (battle honour) Abyssinia (battle honour) Abyssinia is a battle honour awarded to units of the British Indian Army and the British Army which participated in the 1868 campaign to free Europeans held hostage in Abyssinia (now known as Ethiopia) by Emperor Tewodros II (known at that time to the British as Theodore). The success of the expedition led to the award of this honour to units of the British Indian Army which had participated in the campaign. The units belonged, with the exception of the Madras Sappers, to the Bengal and Bombay Presidency Armies. A diplomatic contretemps by the British Foreign Office
SS Abyssinia days to reach Vancouver from Yokohama, arriving there on 13 June 1887, establishing a new trans-Pacific record. "Abyssinia's" freight shipment of silk and tea was transferred to rail, arriving in New York (via Montreal) on 21 June, and loaded onto another ship arriving in London on 29 June. "Abyssinia" was returned to Guion when Canadian Pacific took delivery on the three new "Empress" liners. Guion placed "Abyssinia" back on the Liverpool-Queenstown-New York route. Her first eastbound return trip cleared New York on 13 December with 57 passengers and 88 crew with various cargo including cotton. At 12:40 pm on 18