WELL TREATED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 31 December 1941, Page 7

WELL TREATED

DOCTORS \S GERMAN PRISONERS ECHO OF GREECE AND CRETE ‘ In the rapidlv changing scene of Ihe ! major clashes in the war. Greece and | Crete have receded in main- memories. I Some vivid impressions of those very j lull days have just come to hand from | Lieutenant John Borrie. N.X.M.C. Wnt--1 ing early in August lie tells of some of | the strange tilings which happened to | j prisoner oT war on the staff of a 1800I bed British prisoner-ol'-war hospital in i ) Piraeus, "with the classical outline of ' Ihe Parthenon, clear and white, especiI ally in the late afternoon, a few miles ; “f came with No. 1 N X. General Hos- ; pita! to Greece very early in March," ; writes Dr. Borrie "and alter a delight--1 fu! week's freedom in Athens we went i further north to establish our hospital. But the fortunes of war were against ‘ us for we were soon retreating south f again. I was left behind with four other medical officers of our unit, and 30 men. to staff a convalescent hospital near Athens.” j Dr. Borrie was taken prisoner under very exciting circumstances by German parachutists who attacked Corinth on ! liOth April. ! ' Alter treating the British wounded in Corinth for two weeks in the lonian ! Palace Hotel." saw- Dr. Borrie. “on the 10th of May we were brought to Athens. ■ and along with the 26th Gen. Hosp. R.A.M.C.. sth Au.-t. Gen. Hosp. who had been left in Greece at the time of the evacuation, formed the British Prisoner of War Hospital in a magni - ficent building capable of taking 900 patients. With the Crete episode our [ numbers rapidly rose to about 2000. necessitating the opening of a large j walking-wounded hospital nearby. All ( these casualties were transported by air I in German troop carriers.” j It is interesting to note that Dr. | Borrie adds: "With our good theatres, ’! laboratory, dispensary. X-ray departj ment and dental parlours, we are as well equipped as any large civilian hospital in New Zealand.” Following some personal details he "We entertain the patients with a concert about every two weeks, have ail attractive little stage to produce it on. have managed to secure musical ini struments from outside. besides costumes. so that the standard of entertainment is reasonably high. "The Greek Red Cross visit us once a week, these last two visits bringing letters for the R.A.M.C., one dated as : late as 25th July. There have also been ; two letters from New Zealand for some dental officers—dated 28th May. The ‘ Red Cross are certainly a line organisai tion “On the whole our captors have ; treated us medical personnel extraor- ; dinarily well. Their higher officials ; frequently come to visit us. taking a ; keen interest in our methods of treat- • ment. etc. We are paid according to ! rank. 1 receive 80 marks a month — approximately £B. We have a canteen. ; but food is scarce and dear. 7Ad is the [ price of an egg at present."