Other Information:Herbert was born at 47 Helen Street, Blackburn. He was a member of the Darwen Corps of the St. John Ambulance Brigade who offered their services for the front. After enlisting he proceeded to Aldershot, and entered the war on 20th August 1914. He died from his wounds in No 10 General Hospital. After his death a notice appeared in the Darwen News, dated 20th March 1915:- “Information has been received in Darwen of the death of Sergeant Herbert Higham, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, from wounds. Sergeant Higham, whose wife at present resides in Sun Street, and whose father is Mr W H Higham, land agent, was for many years in the old Volunteer Force. Later he joined the Darwen Division of the St John Ambulance Brigade, and prior to the outbreak of war he was employed as a moulder at Messrs Knowles Pipe Works. When war was declared he volunteered his services along with a number of other members of the Brigade. He was a Corporal in the Brigade, but went out as a Private in the RAMC. Sergeant Higham was attending to a wounded soldier in a building in the vicinity of the firing line when a shell struck the building and he was hit in the thigh by a fragment. An operation was performed to remove the fragment of shell but death took place on Tuesday last, it is thought probably from loss of blood. Sergeant Higham was thirty-six years of age and had been in France since 10th August . His remains were interred at St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, on Wednesday of last week with full military honours, 100 officers and men of the RAMC being present and a volley was fired by a French force whilst a bugler played the “last Post”. There were several beautiful wreaths including one from the RAMC. The account of the funeral has been forwarded to Mrs Higham by the chaplain, who refers to the grand work accomplished by Sergeant Higham.” Herbert was the son of William Hopwood & Harriet Ann Higham (nee Shorrock); and the husband of Agnes Bretherton (later Bulcock after remarrying in 1918) of 6 Sun Street, Darwen - they were married on 9th July 1898 at Holy Trinity, Darwen (now St Peter’s). They had two children [Portrait photograph of Herbert, and information, kindly provided by Tony Foster]
|