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Allied PoW buried minus brain

Discussion in 'WWII Today' started by GRW, Jan 21, 2025 at 12:46 PM.

  1. GRW

    GRW Pillboxologist WW2|ORG Editor

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    This is like reading a horror story.
    "Scottish soldier Donnie MacRae died as a German prisoner of war during World War Two - but it was not until almost 80 years later that his family discovered he had been buried without his brain.
    Donnie died in a PoW hospital in 1941 and because he had suffered with a rare neurological condition an autopsy was performed on his body.
    During the post-mortem, his brain and part of his spinal cord were removed and sent to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Psychiatry in Munich to be used for research.
    His body was buried by the Germans and later reburied by the Allies in the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Berlin but no-one knew his brain had been removed...
    ... When he was captured he had been wounded by a rifle bullet in the left knee and back.
    Although the wound healed he was later readmitted to hospital where his condition deteriorated quickly in the following months.
    At first he had double vision, tingling in his fingertips and difficulty speaking.
    This rapidly led to paralysis in both arms and an inability to speak.
    In the days before his death he was unable to move.
    Donnie died on 6 March 1941 of a rare condition called Landry's Paralysis - known in the UK as the Guillain-Barré syndrome - where the immune system attacks the nervous system.
    It is usually not fatal and, as a result, an autopsy was undertaken, including a dissection of his brain."
    The World War Two soldier buried in Germany without his brain - BBC News
     
  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Shoulda saved that one for Halloween. :zombieattack:
     
  3. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    Read a few stories about how donated bodies are treated by staff and students. I've asked my kin not to donate any bits.
    My dentist told me he was going to use some "donor" material. Took a while for him to admit- cadavar material.
    Nope. That he tried to pass off inserting dead mans tissue into me, as something normal. It is not. He is now cancelled. As dead to me as the stuff he almost inserted.
     
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  4. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Some of my hillbilly cousins swear by "powered mummy". No flippin' clue what's in that stuff.
     
  5. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    No idea. Canadian hillbilly's are usually 3-4 years behind US 'billies.
    Talking 'bout my mummy- is fighting words 'round these here parts.
     
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  6. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    Argh. Unsure how it works. But have waited 3-6 minutes in order to post or correct. Too often.
    Lord knows I love this site.
    But could not allow such long delays. It prevents enjoying interaction.
    Unsure if Otto is aware of such horrible time delays.
    Love the Otto. Site is acting weird. Many warnings about accessing site.
    Peace, brothers.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2025 at 4:21 PM
  7. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    ugh. Frustrating
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2025 at 4:22 PM
  8. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    "powdered" DUH
     
  9. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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  10. Poppy

    Poppy grasshopper

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    I cant afford to be hillbilly US.
     

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