What was/were Abdulla's?

[Jo K]

This is an extract from one of my Great Uncle's letters:

Some Abdulla’s would be very useful at this juncture

There is no clue to what it might have been. Help would be appreciated. Have tried a search engine, but come up with nothing.

Thanks.

[59165]

Abdulla the mad mulla.Sounds like the Turks but the Turks were enemy so I'm thinking Afghan.

Going back to an earlier war that we fought in Afghanistan ,it may be a history of old timers that had served before WW1 started.

Just an idea,

Dave.

[Kate Wills]

Cigarettes.

[59165]

Tabs?

[Chris Henschke]

I concur with Kate.

[daggers]

Long ago all theatre programme credits used to say: 'Ciagrettes by Abdullah'.

D

[Jo K]

I concur with Kate.

Thank you. I was a bit confused as he had said in previous letters that tobacco was plentiful, so perhaps he smoked cigarettes as well as a pipe.

[stevem49]

Probably a way of saying that he needed a smoke.

sm

[centurion]

Egyptian and Turkish cigarettes were generally regarded as superior and even luxury products. The term Abdullas might refer to either of these. It might thus suggest that he was fed up with the army issue or cheap British or French fags and wanted a smoother smoke.

[SiegeGunner]

Various cigarette varieties by Abdulla & Co of New Bond Street here - http://www.cigarettespedia.com/index.php/BrandAbdulla

[squirrel]

Many of the Cigar and Tobacco retailers in Central London had their own brands and some under licence to sell and distribute Turkish and Egyptian cigarettes and other foreign brands.

Those were the days when you could hold an account with them and order what you wanted for them to send abroad.

Fox's, Benson & Hedges, Sullivan & Powell to name but three.

[Terry_Reeves]

I have an advert for Abdullah's cigarettes somewhere which depicts a soldier of the Boer War smoking them.

TR