The AIF Project

William Bruce HIGGINS

Regimental number196
Place of birthStroud, New South Wales
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationGrazier
AddressGloucester, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation19
Height5' 9"
Weight168 lbs
Next of kinFather, Thomas Lavers Higgins, Gloucester, New South Wales
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date2 August 1915
Place of enlistmentNewcastle, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentDriver
Unit name30th Battalion, Headquarters
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/47/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A72 Beltana on 9 November 1915
Regimental number from Nominal Roll196
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll30th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Miscellaneous details (Nominal Roll)Date of death given (incorrectly) on Nominal Roll as 20 July 1915.
Place of burialFromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot I, Row D, Grave No 3), France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
117
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Sydney, 9 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 16 December 1915.

Reverted to Private at own request, 8 May 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Reported missing, 20 July 1916.

Note on file, 13 March 1917: 'Identification Disc received from Germany. No particulars were afforded, except that Soldier was deceased.' May now be reported "KILLED IN ACTION" 20/7/16.'

German note on file: 'austr. Sold. Higgins, W.B. 30. austr. Batl. am 19.7.16 in Gegend Fromelles gefallen.'

Note on Red Cross File No 1330407: 'The above name appeared on German Death List 4-11-16.'

Statement, 1196 Lance Corporal V.H. DRAKE, 30th Bn (patient, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, England), 22 September 1916: 'Informant states that on July 20/16 at Fleurbaix he was with Higgins well up in the communication trench when a raid was made; they bombarded the Germans and in the counter-attack Higgins got further away and was cut off and taken prisoner by the Germans who got between the lines.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 2), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.
Miscellaneous detailsRegimental Number incorrectly recorded on Embarkation Roll as 96.
SourcesNAA: B2455, HIGGINS William Bruce
Red Cross file 1330407

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