Birmingham
NRB Goes to University
Decisions, decisions !
S
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.