Private Donnie MacRae, a Scottish World War Two soldier, is being reunited with his body 85 years after his death. Multiple outlets report that MacRae died while being held as a prisoner of war in a hospital in Germany in March 1941. According to reports, he had a rare neurological condition, Guillain-Barre syndrome. After his death, German researchers remove parts of his brain and spinal tissue for research. The family, who were reportedly unaware of the removal at the time, have now had the remaining tissue returned so it can be buried with his body. The process culminates in the brain being buried with the rest of his remains, with the reunion occurring decades later. The coverage describes the discovery and repatriation of the tissue as part of an effort to ensure MacRae’s remains are treated as a complete set. Outlets differ slightly in wording, but they consistently link the organ removal to German research following his death in the POW hospital and date the reunion to 85 years afterward.
WW2 soldier’s brain is reunited with body 85 years after removal in German POW camp
Private Donnie MacRae, a Scottish World War Two soldier, is being reunited with his body 85 years after his death. Multiple outlets report that MacRae died while being held as a prisoner of war in a h...
- Private Donnie MacRae died in a German prisoner-of-war hospital in March 1941, during World War Two.
- Sources report he had Guillain-Barre syndrome.
- After his death, German doctors/researchers removed parts of his brain and spinal tissue for research.
- Eighty-five years later, the removed tissue is reunited with his body for burial.
- The reports say MacRae’s family was not aware of the removal at the time.
Private Donnie MacRae died in a prisoner of war hospital in Germany during World War Two and now 85 years later his brain will be buried with the rest of his body
2 months agoPrivate Donnie MacRae suffered from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. After he died in a prisoner of war hospital, German doctors removed parts of his brain and spinal tissue for research
2 months agoGerman doctors removed tissue samples from Private Donnie MacRae who died in a POW camp in March 1941.
2 months agoDonnie MacRae had his brain and part of his spinal cord removed by the Germans.
2 months agoDonnie MacRae's brain was removed by German researchers after his death while he was a prisoner of war during World War Two.
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