Desmond Higgins was born on 22 January 1930. He was educated at Dun Laoghaire school, Ireland, then King’s Hospital School in Dublin.

Higgins joined the Ministry of Supply in Liverpool in 1947, before doing his National Service in the Royal Navy, 1947-49. He returned to the Ministry of Supply, then joined the Commonwealth Relations Office in 1956. His postings while working for the CRO included: 3rd Secretary (Information), British High Commission, New Delhi [India], 1957-59; Commonwealth Relations Office, 1960; British High Commission, Lagos [Nigeria], 1960-61; 2nd Secretary, British High Commission, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland [now Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi], 1962-65; Commonwealth Relations Office, 1965; British High Commission, Bathurst, The Gambia, 1966-68; Commonwealth Relations Office (Cultural Relations Department); British High Commission, Ottawa [Canada], 1972-76.

Higgins then took early retirement and joined Canada Life Assurance in 1987. He published a book on his experiences, "In the Wake of the Raj: Travels in 1950s India" (2009).