Harry fought with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. The Canadian attestation paper reveals Harry was 5’8” with fair hair and grey eyes. The Medical examination was dated 8 August 1914 (literally days after war was declared in Europe) and the attestation papers were dated 2 September 1914.Harry gives his profession as a surveyor. Harry’s brother Frank also joined up in Canada as soon as war was declared. He travelled to Salisbury Plain for training and sailed for France in February 1915. In July he was wounded in action by a bullet in the groin. After transferring to hospital, he displayed no serious symptoms for a week, but then septic poisoning set in and his condition became critical. Harry’s father, having received a telegram appraising him of his son’s condition, decided to go to Havre to see him. The Cumberland News of 14 August 1915 continued by saying: “The permit to cross the Channel however, was issued too late, and Mr Higginson only reached the hospital at nine o’ clock last Sunday night to find that his son had died that same morning at two o’clock. His son Frank had received a permit to leave the firing line in order to see his brother, but he also reached Havre too late, the train in which he travelled being held up 24 hours on the way through an accident to another train. The funeral took place at Havre and was attended by both the father and brother of the deceased.” reported Harry’s death saying he had: “reported wounded in Flanders a few weeks ago, has succumbed to his injuries in one of the Base Hospitals in Havre.” He died of wounds to the groin and buttock according to the death report. Harry’s funeral took place at Le Havre and was attended by his father and brother.
