William Bradshaw (British Army officer)

Major General William Pat Arthur Bradshaw CB DSO (8 March 1897 − 9 April 1966) was a British Army officer.^[1][2]

Biography

Quoted from Nick Smart, Biographical Dictionary of British Generals during the Second World War, pps, 37-38

"Educated at Eton and RMC, Sandhurst, Bradshaw was commissioned in the Scots Guards in 1914 and served with his regiment in France where he was mentioned in despatches and admitted to the DSO in 1917.

A well-connected young man, 'Pat' Bradshaw served on the staff of the War Office and 1928−1929 was ADC to the Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin (later Halifax). A lieutenant colonel in 1935, he commanded the 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards 1935−1938 and was Officer Commanding the Scots Guards Regiment and Regimental District 1938−1939. In 1938 he married a daughter of Lord Cadman.

Bradshaw did not serve outside the United Kingdom during the war. His initial appointment was as the Brigadier commanding 4th (London) Infantry Brigade, which was later renamed the 140th (London) Infantry Brigade. In late 1941 and into 1942, Bradshaw was in command of the 24th Infantry Brigade (Brigade). He was promoted Major-General in 1942 and appointed to command the 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division, which spent the next two years in Northern Ireland. Removed from that command due to combat-inexperience in 1944, he succeeded Berney-Ficklin as GOC of the lower establishment 48th Infantry (Reserve) Division (a training formation). He retired from the army in 1946.

References

Bibliography

• Smart, Nick (2005). Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War. Barnesley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 1844150496.