Frederick Higginson
| Frederick William Higginson | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Taffy |
| Born |
17 February 1913 Gorseinon, Wales |
| Died | 12 February 2003 (aged 89) Carmarthenshire, Wales |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1929–1956 |
| Rank | Wing Commander |
| Unit | No. 56 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Officer of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Flying Cross Distinguished Flying Medal |
| Other work | Director, Bristol Aircraft Ltd |
Wing Commander Frederick "Taffy" Higginson OBE, DFC, DFM (17 February 1913 – 12 February 2003), was a fighter ace of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
Higginson was part of the deployment which went to Dunkirk in 1940, where he became an ace within the first six months of the war. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal and commissioned as a flight lieutenant, by the time he was shot down over Lille in 1941, he had reached a tally of 15 victories. After capture, escape to Vichy France, recapture, he returned to England via Monte Carlo and Spain. Returning to operations in late 1942, the air battle required that he used his knowledge in training new pilots and developing improved strategies and tactics.
Frederick William Higginson was the son of a policeman, born into a Welsh language-speaking family in Gorseinon, Swansea, on 17 February 1913. Educated at Gowerton Grammar School, he joined the RAF straight from school as an apprentice in 1929, aged 16. Assigned for training at RAF Halton, he was allocated service number: 44630. In 1932 he was posted as a fitter-airgunner to No 7 Bomber Squadron.
Accepted for pilot training in 1935, on completion of training he joined the Gloster Gauntlet equipped No. 19 Squadron RAF the following year, and then quickly moved to C Flight to form No. 66 Squadron RAF. Selected to play rugby for the RAF from 1936, in 1937 he moved to the Gloster Gladiator equipped No. 56 Squadron RAF, which was then re-equipped with the brand new Hawker Hurricane monoplane fighter.
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