Charles served as a Second Lieutenant & Photographer, 3264th Signal Service Company, Army Signal Corps Combat Photography Unit, U.S. Army during World War II.
Charles resided at 906 duPont Road, Wilmington, Delaware prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on November 10, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as Single, without dependents.
Charles was assigned as a Photographer on C-46D #44-77581, 47th Squadron, 313rd Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
C-46D #44-77581, which was part of "Operation Varsity", took off from Achiet, France carrying 25 soldiers of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment to be dropped over Wesel, Germany.
After successfully dropping the soldiers they were hit by German ground Anti-Aircraft fire and crashed just east of the Rhine River near Wesel, Germany.
Charles was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He had served in the Army for two years and four months at the time of his death.
He was awarded the "Silver Star" and the Purple Heart.
Son of Charles Alfred Higgins, Sr. and Marion Glenn Dunham Higgins.
T/Sgt. Gardner, the only survivor of this mission, noted that Charles was told to "bail-out". Charles, the dedicated photographer, replied with "I need to take more pictures first." That cost him his life .... and for that he was awarded the "Silver Star" for going beyond ....
Service # 12133749
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-46D #44-77581:
Blendinger, Bert L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, PA
Higgins, Charles A, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Photographer, DE
Weiser, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Wolfe, Emmett L ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
T/Sgt. Edward James Gardner, who served as the flight engineer, was the only survivor of the mission.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russ Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles resided at 906 duPont Road, Wilmington, Delaware prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on November 10, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as Single, without dependents.
Charles was assigned as a Photographer on C-46D #44-77581, 47th Squadron, 313rd Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
C-46D #44-77581, which was part of "Operation Varsity", took off from Achiet, France carrying 25 soldiers of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment to be dropped over Wesel, Germany.
After successfully dropping the soldiers they were hit by German ground Anti-Aircraft fire and crashed just east of the Rhine River near Wesel, Germany.
Charles was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He had served in the Army for two years and four months at the time of his death.
He was awarded the "Silver Star" and the Purple Heart.
Son of Charles Alfred Higgins, Sr. and Marion Glenn Dunham Higgins.
T/Sgt. Gardner, the only survivor of this mission, noted that Charles was told to "bail-out". Charles, the dedicated photographer, replied with "I need to take more pictures first." That cost him his life .... and for that he was awarded the "Silver Star" for going beyond ....
Service # 12133749
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-46D #44-77581:
Blendinger, Bert L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, PA
Higgins, Charles A, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Photographer, DE
Weiser, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Wolfe, Emmett L ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
T/Sgt. Edward James Gardner, who served as the flight engineer, was the only survivor of the mission.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russ Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles served as a Second Lieutenant & Photographer, 3264th Signal Service Company, Army Signal Corps Combat Photography Unit, U.S. Army during World War II.
Charles resided at 906 duPont Road, Wilmington, Delaware prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on November 10, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as Single, without dependents.
Charles was assigned as a Photographer on C-46D #44-77581, 47th Squadron, 313rd Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
C-46D #44-77581, which was part of "Operation Varsity", took off from Achiet, France carrying 25 soldiers of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment to be dropped over Wesel, Germany.
After successfully dropping the soldiers they were hit by German ground Anti-Aircraft fire and crashed just east of the Rhine River near Wesel, Germany.
Charles was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He had served in the Army for two years and four months at the time of his death.
He was awarded the "Silver Star" and the Purple Heart.
Son of Charles Alfred Higgins, Sr. and Marion Glenn Dunham Higgins.
T/Sgt. Gardner, the only survivor of this mission, noted that Charles was told to "bail-out". Charles, the dedicated photographer, replied with "I need to take more pictures first." That cost him his life .... and for that he was awarded the "Silver Star" for going beyond ....
Service # 12133749
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-46D #44-77581:
Blendinger, Bert L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, PA
Higgins, Charles A, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Photographer, DE
Weiser, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Wolfe, Emmett L ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
T/Sgt. Edward James Gardner, who served as the flight engineer, was the only survivor of the mission.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russ Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles resided at 906 duPont Road, Wilmington, Delaware prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on November 10, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as Single, without dependents.
Charles was assigned as a Photographer on C-46D #44-77581, 47th Squadron, 313rd Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
C-46D #44-77581, which was part of "Operation Varsity", took off from Achiet, France carrying 25 soldiers of the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment to be dropped over Wesel, Germany.
After successfully dropping the soldiers they were hit by German ground Anti-Aircraft fire and crashed just east of the Rhine River near Wesel, Germany.
Charles was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He had served in the Army for two years and four months at the time of his death.
He was awarded the "Silver Star" and the Purple Heart.
Son of Charles Alfred Higgins, Sr. and Marion Glenn Dunham Higgins.
T/Sgt. Gardner, the only survivor of this mission, noted that Charles was told to "bail-out". Charles, the dedicated photographer, replied with "I need to take more pictures first." That cost him his life .... and for that he was awarded the "Silver Star" for going beyond ....
Service # 12133749
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on C-46D #44-77581:
Blendinger, Bert L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, PA
Higgins, Charles A, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Photographer, DE
Weiser, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Wolfe, Emmett L ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
T/Sgt. Edward James Gardner, who served as the flight engineer, was the only survivor of the mission.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russ Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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