LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Thomas John HIGGINS
Service No: 434361
Born: Warwick QLD, 21 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 November 1942
Unit: No. 455 Squadron, RAF Station Dallachy
Died: Air Operations: (No. 455 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft NE444), Norway, 22 April 1945, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Trondheim (Stavne) Churchyard, Trondheim, Norway
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Leo Patrick and Maria Veronica Higgins, of Warwick, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Warwick QLD
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Beaufighter NE444 took off from RAF Dallachy at 1650 hours on 22 April 1944 to carry out an anti-shipping strike in Moldoy-Vaagso region, Norway. Seven aircraft from the Squadron took part in the strike and one of these NE444 failed to return. NE444 attacked a 3/4000 tons motor vessel alongside a quay and warehouse on the west side of Moldoy anchorage near the town of Sor Vaagso. At 1918 hours NE444 was seen to crash in flames in the anchorage at the northern end of the town of Sor Vaagso. Both the crew members were killed.
The crew members of NE444 were:
Flying Officer Thomas John Higgins (434361) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer Alan John Mirow (428872) (Navigator Wireless)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/17/1159
Bibliography:
Gordon, I. (Ian) Strike and Strike Again: 455 Squadron 1944-5, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2616, 1995
Lawson, John Horwood Wightman (251634) The Story of No. 455 Squadron (RAAF), Wilke and Company, Melbourne VIC, 1951