A 19-year-old David Attenborough, center, with classmates in 1945. (University of Leicester Archives via SWNS)
By Dean Murray
The University of Leicester has revealed a rarely seen photograph of Sir David Attenborough in his student days, ahead of the national treasure's 100th birthday.
The rarely seen image shows a 19-year-old Sir David with fellow students and staff posing for an official University College Leicester, as it was then known, photograph on the lawn.
The photo was taken towards the end of World War II, in 1945 during the brief time Sir David was a University College Leicester student.
Nick.Thirteen via Wikimedia Commons
Sir David spent his formative years on campus from 1932 after his father Frederick Attenborough was appointed as the second Principal of University College Leicester – which later became the University of Leicester.
When David and his brothers first came to Leicester, Richard Attenborough was 8, David was 5 and youngest brother John had just turned 4.
Sir David spent his formative years on University of Leicester campus. (University of Leicester Archives via SWNS)
All three boys attended Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys, now Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, which backs onto the University campus.
Sir David stayed at Leicester throughout the war, studying at University College Leicester for a brief period in 1944-45 while waiting for his scholarship to study at Cambridge University to be processed.
Dr. Simon Dixon, Associate Director for Community and Heritage at the University said: "Sir David spent a year studying Botany and Zoology at Leicester after leaving Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in 1944. He also traveled to Nottingham for Geology classes, which wasn't taught here at the time.
"The photograph captures the small student community towards the end of the Second World War.
"Standing behind Frederick Attenborough are three Technical Officers from the Chinese Army who had come to Leicester to study Radar under Professor E. A. Stewardson.
"We would love to hear from anyone who can help us to identify the other students in the photo."
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