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Birmingham

NRB Goes to University


Decisions, decisions !

AS 1914 began, Neville Bradshaw was approaching his 18th birthday and decisions would have to be made as to his next step. Given his background and the influence of his mother and Mr Dickinson it had probably been decided that he would aim to become a teacher by one means or another. The days of pupil-teachers were over. Primary school teachers had to have some further education beyond school and some instruction in teaching. At secondary level it was becoming the norm for teachers to be university graduates.

Although he had been in the tiny sixth form for a short period, the level of teaching would not have been adequate for him to move directly to a university honours degree course as is the norm today for most students. He would need some further education if he was eventually to read for an honours degree.

But there were several other problems besides his academic standard to be faced before his future course could be decided. The most pressing would have been "Where can I go?" and "How can I afford it?"

Halesowen Grammar School had, over several years, sent a few promising students to the new university at Birmingham which was close at hand. There are records in the governors' minute books of small sums of money being found from their resources (typically £10) to enable the occasional student to overcome the initial expenses involved. These students would not have been in residence - they would have commuted by train and lived at home with their families.

The source of funding for him to pay his university dues, train fares and other expenses is not known. He may have had help from Mr Dickinson and the school, but there is no record of it. Local authority grants for university students were not available as far as one can tell. It is more likely that by this time there was some surplus resources in the Gillard family that was made available for him. His mother would no doubt have done her utmost to find funds for what was to her the brightest star in her family.

From the records at Birmingham University we have discovered that NRB of "Springfield, Dudley" took the Oxford Senior Local exam in January 1914 passing in English, French, History, Geography, Maths and Physics. It would seem that this was not sufficient for matriculation at the university, for in June 1914 he sat examinations at Birmingham as an external candidate in Latin, English, French, Maths and History. He passed in three but failed in Latin and Maths.

In September 1914 he sat the Latin exam again. Presumably the poor chap had had a miserable summer holiday cramming his Latin set books for the all-important retake. He passed easily. Having met the requirements for matriculation at Birmingham University he enrolled in October in the School of English. He was to take the Intermediate Arts course in his first year before deciding on the subject for his honours degree.

Unhappily during this period the country unexpectedly found itself at war with Germany. There had been growing tension in Europe for some years and the Prussians were looking for any excuse to go to war. The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo in the Balkans suited their plans ideally and they invaded Belgium - knowing full well that this would mean fighting France and Great Britain. This must have cast an ominous shadow over Neville Bradshaw's plans. For a while it was thought that the war would soon be over but it soon got bogged down into a bloody stalemate in Flanders. At Halesowen Grammar School there had been talk of forming a cadet force but nothing had been done in Neville's time. He never had any preparation for military service while at school.

During the academic year 1914-15 he was commuting from Springfield by train from Windmill End via Old Hill and New Street to the University station at Edgbaston. Living at home with several younger brothers and sisters plus the travelling must have been tough going but he persevered, attending his lectures and took exams in Pure Maths, Latin, English, French and History each term. His results, as shown on the Birmingham records, show that he passed all subjects. His best results were in History and his worst in French. By September 1915 he had completed his Intermediate Arts course successfully.

By this time he was 19 and the war was looking serious. No doubt he was having a problem in deciding what to do. By this time he was enrolled in the university branch of the Royal Worcester Regiment and he would have been having part-time military training at the university. This would stand him in good stead and prepare him for entry to the officer class in due course. He soon realised that he would have to break his studies and enlist for service. Although he began the next academic year in September 1915 it seems that he spent only one term at Birmingham, taking an English exam in December. He then enlisted as a private in the Royal Worcestershire Regiment.

The July 1916 edition of the "Halesonian" school magazine has a reference to "L/Cpl. N. Bradshaw, Worcestershire Regiment". In the Birmingham University publication "Mermaid" of 1916 there is a list of former students on active service including "Neville Bradshaw, Sergt. E Coy. 1st(S) Batt. Worcestershire Regt.". So he was already moving up the ranks. Within a few months he was commissioned as a Lieutenant.

The Great War