Amelia b. 1897 Gordon River #3137  f. Frederick William Baker m. Mary Ann Glimpson

Stafford HIGGINS  In WWI, Stafford enlisted in the Army at Fremantle, W.A.  He was Private No. 50, 44th Battalion, A Company. 

On the 11 January 1916 he sailed overseas to fight in France or Belgium. Stafford was a farm hand, Thin sharp featured, 172cm, 57kg, dark hair with brown eyes.

VILLERS-BRETONNEUX MEMORIAL

Excerpts from :  Australian Red Cross Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files,  1914-18  War

***  I am sure Higgins was killed in the attack outside Saillie the night was rainy and pitch dark and we advanced under heavy machine gun fire - many losses - and Higgin's body with many others had to be left in No Man's Land. 

***  He was batman to Lieut Piper of the 44th Battn A.Coy.   I know him fairly well, he was tall, inclined to be dark, thin, about 23 to 27.    On the 28th March we were on the Somme in front of Sailley Lavrette.   We were out to find a position to make a line.   I saw Higgins about 6 p.m. he disappeared about midnight.  His brother (William) in the same Battn came to me about 2 a.m. and asked me if I had seen his brother, as he was missing.  If anything has been found out about S Higgins, his brother will know.

***  I beg to state that on the night 27/26 March he was with me, Lieut C.J. Piper,  Platoon of 44th Battn., in a reconnaissance carried out in force by the Company.    During the operation while endeavouring to push home an attack in an enemy post, my platoon came under very heavy M/G fire and we were forced to retire, being only able to carry out our wounded.    Higgins came down with me to the place where we were held up.   Here we parted, as I left him to go along the line.   I never saw him afterwards and though I questioned all the men when we got out, no one remembered seeing him.  Although several attempts were made to remove the dead, we were unsuccessful owing to the activity of the enemy M/Gs and patrols.  I regret to say that I think Stafford Higgins was killed as all men lying out were examined and the living carried out.  The night was very dark and it was practically impossible to identify the dead.  Sgt Higgins (his brother William), my platoon Sgt, and I agreed not to write to his wife while a vestige of hope remained.  The bodies were never recovered as our line never advanced subsequently.  It is with the deepest regret that I give no hope for he was a splendid type of a soldier and a good man.               

***  Higgins was a man of about 30, dark, standing 5 ft. 8, and quite a good sport.   He was batman to Lt. Piper who is still with our Bn.  On March 28 he went out on patrol about midnight to locate the enemy near Sailly-Le-Sac.  The Germans turned their M.G's on our men and we had about 60 casualties.  The report came through that Higgins had been killed and left.   Several of our men were brought in and buried at Sailly-Le-Sac.  Their graves are there, but so far as I know, Higgins was not brought in.  The enemy M.Guns' barrage at the time was exceedingly heavy. 

ref. Sheryl Knight

Stafford Higgins 1883
James George Higgins 1855 and Maria Hough 1860
Edward Giles Higgins 1833 and Mary Hough 1836
William Higgins 1800 and Sarah Dredge 1799