President of the King's African Rifles and East Africa Forces Dinner Club for 21 years to 1994.

Rhino Link vol. 2, no. 7, Nov 2007: Brigadier Michael W Biggs, CBE, MA, C Eng MICE. Michael   Biggs' ong connection with the KAR  began  in 1936 when he was sent to join the Mombasa Coast Defence Unit engaged in developing the   defences on the Kenyan coast. From there he was appointed Intelligence Officer of the KAR's Northern Brigade. When war came in 1939 he was sent to join the newly formed East African Forces HQ in Nairobi where his main task was compiling the Order of Battle of the formidable Italian forces in East Africa. Against these our forces consisted of just two KAR Brigades and the Kenya Regiment of Territorials with no supporting arms nor aircraft.  Had the Italians come into the war at that stage they might well have overrun Kenya for which they had already appointed a viceroy-in-waiting.

Fortunately, by the time they did declare war 1/1 KAR, 5 KAR, 1/6 KAR had been reinforced by two Royal West African Frontier Force brigades and a brigade from South Africa, together with supporting arms and aircraft, plus 22 Mountain Battery (an Indian Army unit), a Tanganyika Field Ambulance and a Signals Detachment. In 1940 he was the Brigade Major of 22 (EA) Infantry Brigade, commanded by the irritable Brigadier C C 'Fluffy' Fowkes. The brigade was part of 11 (African) Division, commanded by Maj Gen H E de R Whetheral, and in February 1941 the Division was tasked with advancing up the coastal strip of Somalia, then inland to Jigjiga and on to Addis Ababa. 11 (African) Division was tasked to advance in parallel with them, but at a distance inland. Within a few days Michael was making a reconnaissance of the island forts that defended Kismayu port. Then on to Afmadu and three days after the main offensive started and six days ahead of schedule,  Jubaland  had  been  captured. 22 Brigade (designated FOWCOL) for the next phase of the advance, had to cut its way through tight bush for three days to outflank an Italian force on the coastal road. This was successful and Mogadishu was occupied on 26 February 1941. Thereafter the advance was headed by the Nigerian Brigade, who were particularly successful in their swift advance to Jigjiga and forcing the Gara Mada pass.  Between Harar and Addis Ababa, 22 Brigade resumed the lead and took part in the longest and fastest advance in the annals of military history —1700 miles in 72 days, from Tana River to Addis Ababa.  Fowkes wanted to be there first, but Smuts (Prime Minister of South Africa) needed a  photograph of South African troops entering Addis Ababa for political consumption in SA. Attempts to stop Fowkes were frustrated by claims of garbled signals and Dispatch Riders not being allowed to reach the head of the column. Eventually the column was halted when a light aircraft literally dropped the order to do so directly onto the bonnet of Fowkes' jeep.

Michael had married Katharine (née Harrington) in 1940, and the Union Flag that Kathy Biggs had sent to Michael with the instruction to"fly this over somewhere for me" was carried into Addis fluttering from the turret of an East African armoured car. Later it flew over the Emperor's palace for a while. Subsequently it was to be flown at Gondar and then in Burma. Gondar was the last phase of the Ethiopian campaign, by which time Fowkes was commanding the division. The last surviving Italian aircraft attacked the vehicle in which the Commander Royal Artillery and Biggs (by then GSOII Int) were travelling. The CRA was killed outright and Biggs was wounded. After re-equipping and training 11 (EA) Division with Fowkes in command and Michael as his GSO I were embarked for Burma and became part of Slim's XIV Army. After the Japanese defeat at Imphal and their retreat southwards, they were pursued by 11 (EA)  Division down the notorious Kawaba Valley with 5 Indian Division moving roughly parallel with them to their west, in the equally difficult Tiddim Valley. The advance to the Chindwin was successful and Fowkes was able to hoist the Biggs' flag over a pagoda-like building at Kalewa prior to the river being crossed. Following this successful operation, Dimoline replaced Fowkes as GOC 11 (EA) Division and Biggs was appointed Commander Royal Engineers of the division. On reaching the Chindwin he organised the assault crossing of the river from which the main body of 14 Army drove further into Burma. For his part he was appointed OBE, which was presented to him by Field  Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck. With the war ending and the Division at Ranchi, it fell to the newly appointed CRE to organise the Divisional Victory Parade, which was very successful.

In the post war years, Michael was successively Senior Instructor (Colonel) at the Staff College, Camberley; CRE at Dortmund; Commander 3 Training Regiment RE and Military Adviser at
the British High Commission (1954-57) at Canberra.  Then as a brigadier as Chief of Staff, East African Command, Nairobi (1960-62) and afterwards as Director of Army Quartering (1963-66). Following his retirement in 1966 he was for eleven years Manager for the Commission for New Towns of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield. He wrote professional articles on military engineering, and the Abyssinian campaign, and was trice winner of the Bertrand Stewart Prize Essay Competition.  He remained a keen games player all his life, especially tennis and golf.

Michael Biggs was born in Cheltenham on 16 September 1911, was educated at Cheltenham College and entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1931. He was President of the association for 25 years, when still an Officers' Dining Club, replacing General Johnny Birkbeck. His committee meetings were always amicable and low key. He was more interested in maintaining the status quo than in innovations. He once said, "we are a Dinner Club or we are nothing." However, some changes were made such as the opening of membership to British Other Ranks who had KAR service. In 1993 he gave his full support and encouragement to the present editor for the introduction of a KAR Journal, to be known as Rhino Link, which proved to be an effective  'recruiting  sergeant'  and  membership within  the  association increased  considerably. Latterly, 'Regional Events' with wives and other guests were successfully introduced. 

Michael was survived briefly by his wife who died  six  weeks  afterwards.  They leave two daughters.

Contributions by Brigadier Malcolm Page, Colonel
Adrian Rouse, Pembroke College - Cambridge, and
others.