After the First World War he served in a range of senior posts in the Royal Air Force until his retirement in 1930.
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.
[1] 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.
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.