Pte 59464 Frederick Samuel Higginson

• Age: 37
• From: Plealey Salop
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Frederick Samuel Higginson was born in 1878 in Plealey, Salop and was the son of Samuel Higginson and Anne (nee Evans) who were married in January 1867 in Pontesbury, Salop. He was baptised on the 10th Nov 1878 at Cruckton (Chapelry of Pontesbury).

At the time of the 1881 census Frederick was 2 years old and living with his parents in the household of his father’s older, unmarried, brother Thomas. The brothers were farmers both born in Chirbury, Montgomeryshire. Samuel was 44 years old and his wife was 45 and born in Worthen, Shrewsbury. The couple had five children, as well as Frederick there was Elizabeth aged 13, Thomas 11, Charles 9 and Benjamin John aged 5. Their address is just Pealey which is a village in the parish of Pontesbury near Shrewsbury.

Ann died aged 55 in 1890, and the widowed Samuel is living at Station Road, Pontesbury. Frederick is still at school, his brother Benjamin is living at home and his sister Lizzie is a dressmaker. Frederick’s brother Charles is a baker in Shrewsbury, his brother Thomas is a footman, one of many staff at Oulton Hall in Yorkshire.

Frederick cannot be found in the 1901 census, but at some point he moves to Liverpool. He married Bertha Shone in June 1908 at St Bridgets in Wavertree, Liverpool. The 1911 census shows the couple living at 21 Langton Road, Wavertree with their daughter Norah Madeline who was born in April 1910. Also living with them is Bertha’s mother Mary. The couple have another daughter, Freda in April 1915.

Frederick enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 59464 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917 aged 37 on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August.

Frederick has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Frederick’s sister Elizabeth placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on the first anniversary of his death:

Higginson – In affectionate remembrance of Frederick S. Higginson K.L.R. reported missing July 31st 1917. Sadly missed by his Sister Elizabeth and Brother-In-Law (Q.M.S. Jenkins R.A.M.C.)

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Bertha.

Bertha remarries in 1920 at West Derby Register Office, her second husband was Ernest Philip Quin. Sadly Frederick and Bertha’s daughter Norah Madeline died in 1927 at the age of 16. She’s buried in Allerton Cemetery. 

The electoral roll has them at 21 Langton Road, Wavertree until 1929 after which Ernest drops off. He seems to have no birth or death record and worryingly this name appears as an alias for a habitual criminal. She appears married on the 1939 register at 91 Langdale Rd, Liverpool, but Ernest is not present. Bertha, dob 16th Dec 1880, also Alice R. Quin., dob 2nd Jan 1921, relationship unknown.

Bertha died aged 86 in 1967.

We currently have no further information on Frederick Samuel Higginson, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.