Jesse Carl Higgins, Jr. was born on February 24, 1919. He was the son of Jesse Carl and Zula Bost Higgins. He served in the 552nd Bomber Squadron, 386th Bomber Group, Medium, as a First Lieutenant and Pilot on the B-26 Marauder #41-31586 RG*U during World War II.

On March 3, 1944, their plane took off from Station 164 at Great Dunmow (Little Easton), England on a mission to attack the base of V1 planes in Marquenneville, France. While returning from the mission at 5:45PM, the plane was hit by flak and ignited. The pilot ordered the evacuation from the aircraft and four of them succesfully bailed out. The navigator attempted to force land but the aircraft spinned and crashed at Buigny-Lès-Gamaches - 12 km southeast of Le Tréport, France, killing the Pilot and the Navigator.

Initially buried in the Abbeville, France cemetery, his remains were traferred and is now buried in the Harrisburg Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Harrisburg, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, USA.

B-26 Marauder #43-34318 crew members:
1Lt Jesse Carl Higgins, Jr. - Pilot
1Lt James Henry Croggon 'Pete' Solley - Bombardier/Navigator
2Lt Robert A. Reed - CoPilot
S/Sgt Richard Henry Green - Machine Gunner
S/Sgt Emanuel Bernard Spero - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Roland Arthur Graton - Engineer

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net,