Husband of Helen; father of Michael, Philip and Louise

Bachelor of Medicine

Master of Chemistry

Bachelor of Chemistry

Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons

Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons

Borrie recieved an MBE in 1943 for services as a Prisoner of War, he worked in prison hospitals in Greece, Upper Silesia and at Lamsdorf during his captivity. Post war he worked in various hospitals in the UK, returning to New Zealand he specialised in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and was a professor at Otago University, and founded the Southern Regional Thoratic Surgical Unit in Dunedin. He published a biography about his experiences called Despite Capitivity in 1975. (Sutherland, p. 57).

Brother of Dr Alexander William Huntly Borrie (MC) member of the New Zealand Medical Corps.

Lieutenant J. Borrie (Stalag VIII B)

Letter: 25/10/1941
For the past month I have been travelling across Europe. The New Zealand medical officers left Athens with the 26th General Hospital RAMC personnel on 30 September travelling by sea through the Crete Isles to Salonika. After a week on poor rations, these with a large number of prisoners, set forth across Europe in a 3rd class carriage through Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria and Germany to Silesia. The country was lovely, the harvest glorious and the autumn tings on all the trees never to be forgotten. Most of the towns we skirted, but saw a little of Vienna, especially a delightful suburb in which was the Hoffman Piano Company. We were 10 nights and 9 days in the train and pretty done and hungry at the end of it. After an extensive search we marched into this camp. It is a mass of efficiency, run by men of Dunkirk. It is really only for men and is transit for officers. May or may not stay here on medical staff. Food is great. Get an enormous 10lb tinned food parcel regularly each week, so will put on weight. Wonderful spirit among men. There are classes in languages, history, engineering etc, also a good theatrical company. Alf Slater is chief surgeon here to a 450 bed hospital which has just opened.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 2, March 1942, p.8))

Captain J. Borrie (Stalag VIII B)

Letter 1: 18/1/1942
This week Bill Forman and Stevenson-Wright left as volunteers for a Russian Camp. It will be hard but they will have work to do. Colonel Bull and Major Fosbrooke left as surgeons for another camp.

Letter 2: 18/2/1942
Ron Stewart and Louis Longmore went as doctors to working parties this week. Tom McArthur seems to be out on a working party. We get a weekly 4-page paper in English. Since being in hospital I have done little German. One hardly sees the Germans to get practice in speaking.

Letter 3: 8/3/1942
The recent acquisition of a piano is a godsend. Each day I play it for an hour striving to remember what I once knew and striving to play more from ear. On Friday last the German Welfare Officer brought round films of Mickey Mouse, Olympic games, Variety show Fairy-tales and newsreels - very enjoyable and last night we had a sing-song round the piano. Those who have had parcels from NZ welcome the warm clothing. There is nothing like NZ underwear.

Letter 4: 22/3/1942
None have received NZ mail lately. We are all well, very hungry as apart from occasional issues of bulk food there has been nothing from the Red Cross for over 7 weeks.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 5, August 1942, p.5))

Captain J. Borrie (Stalag VIII B)

Letter 1: 17 May
A DOCTOR WRITES: On 23/4/1942 was sent as MO to the largest working party from VIII B, the size of an English battalion. There are 6 MOs in this area. Have equipment as good as any GP and have Col Boyd's auroscope, etc, can test eyes for long and short sight, haemoglobien blood sedimentation rate, BP apparatus and surgical equipment for all minor surgery. Have ordered a sigmoidoscope and an electrical steriliser. Have large sick parade each evening at 6.30pm then minor surgery. Have 20 bed hospital. Get fairly good supply of drugs from the Germans and dressings from the Red Cross. Each Saturday do varicose veins, eyes, etc. Went to a city size of Dunedin to see about the steriliser. Warren and Noakes here as dental officers serving this district. I also visit 3 other camps. I almost feel free at present and seeing the German men and women and children at close quarters, who behave exactly like us except for their language. My life is now almost fantastic. Postal lab services and X-rays fairly good.

Letter 2: 16 June
I ran a most successful arts and crafts exhibition last week and we had some very fine work in it. All the Germans were mightily impressed. I have, on my visits here and there, been able to buy a certain amount of colour and drawing paper for the atists who are most grateful for it. Yesterday lectured to all the camp on public health and gave them a good ticking off. Today started louse inspection and next Saturday give T.A.B. Daily in every way the camp improves, sports, boxing, football, theatre "horse-racing" general tidiness etc, etc. Everyone is interested in flower gardens and have small plots but as all the soil has to be carted from the woods, not many have large vegetable gardens. (Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 7, November 1942, p.15))

Captain J. Borrie NZMC, PoW 23912 (Stalag VIII B)

Letter: October
Letter received from Captain Borrie sent to Invalids Comforts Section, BRC, and received by them on 29 Oct.: To one who has done so much for us here in Germany, I feel that I owe you a letter which might give you some idea of medical life in my camp - E3 is some 60km from Stalag VIIIB and is its largest working party, being numerically a little larger than a battalion. The men engaged on construction work are all fairly fit - leading an out-of-doors life. I have between 50 & 60 sick each day, holding sick parades in the evenings. I have a very attractive hospital of 25 beds (3 for orderlies) in 3 rooms, painted green and cream. The patients have single wooden beds, their linen being changed each week. The great majority come sick with colds, diarrhoea, boils and minor accidents sustained at work. Major accidents are fortunately rare. I am proud too of my MI room complete with running water and stove for hot water. I have an electric steriliser, 3 dressing drums I get sterilised in a neighbouring civilian hospital. I was very lucky in bringing a roll of surgical instruments, opthalmoscope, auroscope and stethoscope into captivity with me, all of which are now invaluable. Here I have been able to buy a BP Hb blood sedimentation and urine testing apparatus, besides kidney dishes and a binocular apparatus for examining eyes and lenses for testing for myopia and hypermetropia. It has taken time to get things in order but now I feel that I can cope adequately with most emergencies.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 8, January 1943, p.8))

Captain John Borrie (Stalag VIII B)

Letter: 26 October
A Doctor Writes: Had an extremely busy week with a trip to Stalag VIII B on Monday, which necessitated rising at (censored). We were there by -----. Life is much better out here. I managed to see Capt Slater NZMC and Ed Cartside and other Lazarett doctors, then had a hurried visit around the Stalag trying to square up my medical and Red Cross supplies which have been at VIII B all through the summer. In future I shall be ordering direct on Geneva. On Thursday I had my usual pleasant visit by train to a small Work Detachmet in a ------ village near the one hill in these parts. The 20 minute walk across the common among ubiquitous gaggles of geese is very pleasant. On Friday took sick to the British Hospital in the country town --- Km away on the Oder. Bill and the other MOs were very busy having ------ British and ---------- Russian beds. You can realise how much of our good health we owe to the Red Cross parcels. I have a new German Oberstabsarzt (ADMS) who promises to be as cooperative as his predecessor. This weekend I had a visit from Ed Cartside who, having replaced Major Charters as eye-specialist at the Lazerett at my request was sent to examine ---------- of my men for eyes. We worked on Friday night and Saturday and were able to go on Sunday with our military band of 25 players to Bill's hospital. We went by lorry. I am very proud of our camp now. My long range programme for organisation is fast bearing fruit and all should be happy for the winter. We are one of the best camps here.

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 10, May 1943, p.14))

Captain John Borrie (Stalag VIII B)

Letter 1: 24 July
I have now realised another ambition this week, that ofhearing on the air the world famous conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Wilhelm Furtwangler, conducting orchestral concert. At the moment they are soaring through the "Coriolanus" Overture. To hear such people on gramophone records is indeed marvellous, yet I always have a lurking feeling that the perfection we so often hear then is merely for that special occasion. Here, however, in this country, not many hundreds of kilometres away from where I sit at this moment, that dynamic personality is bringing more out of an orchestra than I ever heard before. Life has been good lately. Last Monday morning I travelled 15 kilometres to Alf Slater's hospital to help operate...He said that any time I could get down he would have something for me to do. I hope to go each Monday morning in future. Though I have not got a microscope yet, have got permission to use the one in the local village hospital; a beautiful institution endowed, I'm told , by the family of our commandant...Have received all clothing parcels to date, including February, 1943, except November 1941. Drains a grand success. Have made air-raid shelters and covered them with turf so that now men have a sunbathing lido. Also borrowed four trucks and lines and have shifted tons of sand to level football field. Great fun. Grant visit from Major McLeod.

Letter 2: Undated
Copy of card sent to Miss Ramsay, Prisoners of War Office, Dunedin
I last wrote in December, 1941, telling you what a grand work the Red Cross are doing. The men here are in good health, are well-fed, well clothes, get fairly regular mail and parcels and are extremely fit and cheerful - all of which as you know we owe to your organisation. Red Cross seeds, too, are now providing us with fresh vegetables, the growing of which adds another interest to this life. Thank you for all you do. John Borrie

(Source: The New Zealand prisoner of war pamphlet (No. 15, November 1943, p.8)) AWMM