Private George Edward Higham (16th Battalion)

The soldier standing in this image is 16th Battalion Private George Edward Higham, the oldest of three brothers, with his youngest brother (seated) Albert Theodore Higham, who later served with the 11th Battalion. The Highams had come from Victoria and South Australia to Western Australia, where they lived at 27 Blencowe Street, West Leederville.

Albert, a boat builder, married Rose Hicks in 1915 and moved to Fremantle. Their only child, Edward, was born in 1917.

Albert enlisted, aged 25, on 13 March 1917 with their middle brother, John Charles (not in this photo), who was also a boat builder. The two were assigned to the 11th Battalion and given consecutive Service Numbers - 7487 and 7486 respectively.

Embarking on HMAT Borda at Fremantle on 29 June, they arrived in England on 25 August. Albert was taken on strength with the 11th Battalion in France on 22 January 1918.

Synovitis of the knee (slight) saw him hospitalised in France on 13 March, and having developed trench fever, returned to England a week later.

In London on Anzac Day, Albert went missing for nearly 24 hours; a crime for which, earlier in the war, he would have been severely punished. At this point however, he received only a reprimand and forfeited two days’ pay. He returned to France and rejoined his unit on 15 August 1918, reportedly “a very good soldier... played the game and carried out his orders”.

On 16 September Albert was with his company during parade when they were warned they would be going into action “at a moment’s notice”. That night he participated in a practise attack which, their commander advised as he got them all together afterwards, would be similar to how they were going to attack the next morning.

It wasn’t the next morning but at 1:15am on 18 September when the men fell in to fight around the Hindenburg Line two days later, Albert was absent from roll call. Sergeant Raymond Walker searched the area but could not find him.

The men were relieved and came out of the line at Tincourt in the afternoon of 25 September. Albert then reported to Sergeant Walker. He learnt his brother, John, had received a gunshot wound in action, fracturing his right femur (severe), which ultimately saw him sent home and discharged, medically unfit.

Albert, however, was arrested and charged with desertion and, on 10 October, court martialled in the field.

He pleaded not guilty and, in his defence, said “with family troubles and one thing and another I was very much worried and went to see if I could see my brother. When I came back the battalion was gone… I remained there till they came out as I did not think I could find them. When I heard where the battalion was I reported straight away."

He was found guilty and sentenced to eight years penal servitude. He was taken to the custody compound and on 20 November he was transferred to No: 7 Military Prison. On 23 February 1919 he was transferred to England as a soldier under sentence and escorted to Canterbury Military Prison. On Anzac Day his sentence was suspended by Brigade General L Griffiths, Commander, AIF Headquarters and he was returned to Australia on 1 June 1919.

He was discharged in Perth on 22 August 1919, ‘medically unfit’ from haemoptysis (coughing up blood).

Despite this dire prognosis Albert managed to live a reasonably long life and died aged 75 in White Gum Valley in 1966.