P/O John Higgins (419178) was born in Mildura Vic. on May 4, 1923 and enlisted in the RAAF on July 17, 1942, after his EFTS and SFTS training was posted to 2OTU on June 7, 1943, he was posted for further flight training at CFS and 7SFTS and after a period at No.2 & 6 RAAF Hospital was reposted back to Mildura 2OTU on July 7, 1945.

P/O John Higgins was engaging in individual high altitude dive bombing exercises at the Wentworth Bombing Range on August 27, 1945 when he was observed to dive vertically into the ground that killed him instantly.

P/O Higgins was partaking in No. 44 Fighter Operational Conversion Course onto Kittyhawks, when this accident happened and was to be the last Kittyhawk accident at Mildura. He was buried at the Mildura War Cemetery on August 29 aged 22 years.

Biography – Mildura 2OTU Heritage Inc