Frederick Higginson facts for kids

Wing Commander Frederick "Taffy" Higginson was a brave fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He was born on February 17, 1913, and passed away on February 12, 2003. He earned several important awards for his courage, including the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM).

Higginson was part of the British forces sent to Dunkirk in 1940. He quickly became a "flying ace" by shooting down five enemy planes within the first six months of the war. By the time his plane was shot down over Lille in 1941, he had achieved 15 victories. After being captured, he made an amazing escape through France and Spain to return to England. When he got back, he helped train new pilots and create better flying strategies.

Early Life and Joining the RAF

Frederick William Higginson was born in Gorseinon, Swansea, Wales, on February 17, 1913. His family spoke Welsh, and his father was a policeman. Frederick went to Gowerton Grammar School.

When he was just 16 years old, in 1929, he joined the RAF straight from school as an apprentice. He trained at RAF Halton. In 1932, he became a fitter-airgunner with No 7 Bomber Squadron.

RAF Career Highlights

Becoming a Pilot

In 1935, Frederick was chosen for pilot training. After finishing his training, he joined No. 19 Squadron RAF in 1936, flying Gloster Gauntlet planes. Soon after, he moved to help form No. 66 Squadron RAF.

He was good at sports too and played rugby for the RAF starting in 1936. In 1937, he joined No. 56 Squadron RAF, which flew Gloster Gladiator planes. This squadron later received the brand new Hawker Hurricane fighter planes.

Fighting in the Battle of Britain

In 1940, Frederick was promoted to flight sergeant and sent to Dunkirk, France. He achieved his first victories on May 17, shooting down two German planes. After getting four victories in the Battle of France, he returned to England.

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal on July 27, 1940, during the Battle of Britain. This was a very important time when the RAF defended Britain against German air attacks. Between August 12 and September 30, he shot down or damaged nine more enemy aircraft. This brought his total to at least 15 victories.

On August 16, his Hurricane plane was damaged by enemy fire. He had to crash-land near Whitstable. Two days later, on August 18, his Hurricane was damaged again during a fight off the Essex coast.

Shot Down and Amazing Escape

On June 17, 1941, Higginson was flying as part of a mission to protect bombers attacking Lille, France. His plane was shot down, but it's not clear if it was by anti-aircraft fire or enemy fighters. When his plane exploded, his control stick broke, and his left boot was torn off.

Higginson landed in a wood about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Fauquembergues. A German officer and sergeant quickly found him. They put him in the sidecar of their motorcycle. But when they were distracted by a low-flying German plane, Higginson managed to crash the motorcycle into a ditch and ran away!

He hid in a wood that night. Then he found a hut where the owner gave him clothes and some money. He made his way to Fauquembergues and later got a ride with a lorry driver to a garage. The garage owner helped Allied airmen escape. Higginson met a British Army Captain named Harold Cole, who was part of an underground escape route. Cole took him to a priest, Abbé Carpentier, who gave Higginson fake identity papers.

To help Higginson get to Spain through Vichy France, Cole went with him on a train. They were questioned by German officers but managed to avoid being caught. Cole left Higginson at a safe house in Marseilles, run by a Greek doctor and his wife.

Recaptured and Imprisoned

Higginson was eager to get back into action. He took a train to Perpignan and found an Australian soldier. Together, they convinced a local guide to take them to Spain. However, police stopped them and found their fake papers. Higginson was imprisoned for six months. He was held even longer as a punishment after the RAF bombed a factory in France.

On March 17, 1942, he was placed in Fort de la Revere near Monte Carlo. He decided to pretend to be "Captain Bennett" because he thought the Germans disliked airmen less than pilots.

Returning Home

The RAF needed experienced pilots like Higginson. So, a secret British intelligence group called MI9 worked to get Higginson and other pilots back to Britain. They used a Polish priest, Father Myrda, to smuggle a hacksaw blade into the prison.

On the night of August 6, during a noisy concert in the prison courtyard, Higginson and four other pilots escaped! They went through a coal chute and out of the fort through a sewer. Without his ID card, Higginson made it to a safe house in Monte Carlo.

Disguised as priests and with Father Myrda, the group reached Marseilles. Then, with help from the French underground, they traveled to Canet Plage. On September 17, a small boat picked them up from the beach and took them to a Polish fishing trawler. From there, they were transferred to a fast patrol boat, HMS Minna, which took them to Gibraltar. Finally, Higginson was flown home to RAF Greenock on October 5, 1942.

End of the War

To prepare to rejoin No. 56 Squadron RAF, Higginson retrained on the Hawker Typhoon plane. He also helped solve problems with the Napier Sabre engine used in the Typhoon.

In mid-1944, he was assigned to a communications squadron until 1946. Then he moved to the Headquarters of Fighter Command at RAF Bentley Priory.

Post-War Career

In 1948, Higginson attended the RAF Staff College, Bracknell. After graduating, he became a personal assistant to the head of RAF Training Command. In 1951, he joined the staff of the Army Staff College, Camberley.

He was promoted to wing commander in 1952. He worked on planning new aircraft and even took a helicopter course.

Life After the RAF

In 1956, Higginson left the RAF to work for Bristol Aircraft Ltd in London. He became their military liaison officer. He continued to play rugby for teams like London Welsh until he was 40 years old.

He became sales and service director for the Guided Missiles Division. He was in charge of selling the new ground-to-air missile defense system, the Bloodhound, to other countries. In 1963, he joined the board of Bristol Aircraft. In 1964, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to industry.

In 1964, he left Bristol Aircraft to start the London office for Rezayat Services, a company owned by a businessman from Kuwait. He built a very successful business for them in Europe.

Retirement and Legacy

After retiring in 1969, Frederick Higginson bought a large farm estate called Peny-Coed in Carmarthenshire. He lived there with his wife, Jenny "Shan" Jenkins, whom he married in 1937, and their four sons. His wife passed away in August 2002, and Higginson died on February 12, 2003.

A plaque was unveiled in November 2010 at his old school in Swansea to remember his achievements.