Higgins became a cadet at the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was
commissioned into the
Royal Field Artillery as a
second lieutenant on 15 June 1895, and promoted to
lieutenant on 15 June 1898. He served in the
Second Boer War in
South Africa, where he took part in the operations in
Natal in 1899, including actions at Rietfontein and
Lombard's Kop. Severely wounded in early January 1900, during the
Defence of Ladysmith, he was later back in action and was promoted to
captain on 15 March 1901. After the end of the war in June 1902, Higgins left
Cape Town in the
SS Bavarian in August, returning to
Southampton the following month. For his service during the war, he was
mentioned in despatches and awarded the
Distinguished Service Order (DSO) dated 29 November 1900. After his return, he was posted at Ammunition Park,
Aldershot Garrison. He served as Officer Commanding
No. 5 Squadron from July 1913 and then at the start of November 1914, Higgins was selected to head up the RFC's training wing which was based at Netheravon. He went on to command II Brigade RFC, VI Brigade RFC and then III Brigade RFC during the course of the
First World War. After the War he was appointed General Officer Commanding
RAF forces of the Rhine and then Air Officer Commanding Northern Area before becoming Director of Personnel at the
Air Ministry in 1920. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding Inland Area in 1922, Air Officer Commanding
Iraq Command in 1924 and Air Member for Supply and Research in 1926. He retired to
India in 1930 but was recalled as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Air Forces in India in October 1939 at the start of the
Second World War before retiring again in August 1940. ==References==