General Taylor chose Higgins as replacement for Pratt and promoted him to the temporary rank of Brigadier general on August 1, 1944, making him the youngest general officer in the Army Ground Forces at the age of 34. Higgins took part in the Operation Market Garden during September 1944 and in the Ardennes operations in Winter 1944/1945 and finished his tenure with 101st Airborne Division in Bavarian Alps. He and general Taylor accepted surrender of German Field Marshall, Albert Kesselring and subsequently participated in the occupation duties in Germany.