Early Life :

Education & Career :

Educated at North Point, Darjeeling.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

2nd. Lieutenant Claude Douglas Higgins - 21 Squadron RFC. Killed in Action in BE12 6578 (David Barnes).

The following diary entry by Canadian airman 2nd Lieutenant John Bernard (“Don”) Brophy describes Claude's demise:

Friday, September 22nd, 1916 Up at 6:45 [a.m.] and led a bomb raid of six machines to Velu aerodrome. As we got near Leboeufs the high explosive archies started to come up, and kept on coming all the way to Velu. I have a little auto mirror to see who’s behind, and I watched Watkins and another machine in it with the archies going off all around them. We sighted several huns climbing up to get at us. There were five aeroplanes on the ground in front of a shed, and for which I aimed. I dropped eight bombs in a row, which landed among the machines and across a shed from which smoke was coming when the last machine arrived. When we turned to go back we were attacked by huns from all directions. Higgins was set on fire, and jumped out, and fell in the French lines.The rest of us got back alright, in spite of much archie which came up. The archie is wonderfully accurate nowadays, and no amount of zigzagging will shake them off. 2nd Lieut. C.D. Higgins, a non-Canadian, killed.

Claude Douglas Higgins was flying his ponderous type B.E.12 serial no.6578 out of an airbase near Bertangles, Picardie and was flying close to Bois d'Ouvrage on a bombing raid to Velu aerodrome (the hornet's nest). He was set upon by German Ace pilot Oswald Boelcke and his Jasta 2 (including BOEHM and possibly Manfred von Richthofen). In September 1916 Boelcke personally had shot down eleven British planes. He was flying the new Albatros D.II, powered by a 160 HP engine and carried two synchronized Spandau machine guns. Claude didn't stand much of a chance as he probably only had 10 -15 days operational flying experience. The term 'fish in a barrel' comes to mind. The B.E.12 appears to have been only good for photographic reconnaissance and dropping bombs. Evasion of a highly manoeuverable German war machines was not one of its attributes."

Probate record: HIGGINS, Claude Douglas of 6 Waterloo Street, Calcutta, India, 2nd Lieutenant, R.F.C., died 23 September 1916 in France. Administration (with will) London 25 April to Janie Gilmour Muir, Spinster. Effects £713 8s. 5d.

Masonic :

Joined Star in the East Lodge No. 67 at Calcutta from the Scottish Constitution.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• School Magazine : North Point Annual 1918
• Book : David Barnes