UNTIL recently, Tom Higgins was disappointed to have only one photograph taken of his father during his time fighting in France in 1916-17.
Margaret River's Edward "Ned" Higgins, known to be the son of town's first white settler, fought on the frontline in World War I. His health suffered after being gassed twice, but he returned home in 1919 and lived until he was 63.
"He was not a well man," Mr Higgins said.
Mr Higgins has studied and recorded his father's history over the years, collecting many postcards and photos. He had just one image from France until he came across a book published in 2010: The Lost Diggers by journalist Ross Coulthart.
During World War I, thousands of Aussie diggers and other Allied troops passed through the French town of Vignacourt. Many had their photographs taken by Louis Thuillier as souvenirs while they enjoyed a brief respite from the carnage of the Western Front.
"He took over 4000 [photos]," Mr Higgins said of Mr Thuillier.
"Later, he took his life. The photos ended up in an attic."
Decades after, they were discovered again and shared with the public through Mr Coulthart's book, although not many of the soldiers could be identified at the time.
"This is the first book that has been published from the collection," Mr Higgins said. "It has few names and few stories as the photos carry little or no information."
Pointing to a black-and-white image of about 42 Australian soldiers, Mr Higgins said, "I went right through it and just before the end, I found this."
The face of Ned Higgins can be spotted in the middle of the group.
"That's my father," Mr Higgins said. "I couldn't believe it."
He said the only time his father would tell him serious stories about his past was when the two of them worked on the first town site subdivisions. Sitting down to rest, Ned Higgins spoke about his fellow soldiers and his first experience of hand-to-hand combat, for example.
Mr Higgins said he was thrilled to discover The Lost Diggers. He will remember his father at Friday's Anzac service.
