Lieutenant John Maximillian BORRER
1/4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment

Date of birth: 22nd September 1888
Date of death: 9th September 1917

Died aged 28
Buried at Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery Row B Grave 26
John Maximillian Borrer was born at Chelsea in London on the 22nd of September 1888 the youngest son of Arthur Hardress Borrer, a gentleman, and Dorothea Caroline (nee Dalison) Borrer of 6 Durham Place, Burton Court, Chelsea. He was christened at Christ Church, Chelsea on the 31st of October 1888.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until December 1899 when he went on to a seaside school. He then went on to Haileybury School from January 1903 to December 1904 where he was in Melville House.

He went to work for the Civil Service as a clerk at the Central Office of the Law Courts and served with the Honourable Artillery Company from 1908 to the 1st of November 1913, leaving at his own request.

Following the outbreak of war he applied for a commission on the 22nd of September 1914 but, unable to wait for a reply, he enlisted at 10 Stone Buildings, Lincolns Inn as Private A/1379 in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps on the 29th of September 1914. At a medical examination, which took place on the 26th of September, it was recorded that he was six feet one inch tall and that he was fit for general service. On the 20th of October he was discharged from the Corps and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Sussex Regiment on the 21st of October 1914. He was promoted to temporary Lieutenant on the 4th of July 1915.

He landed at Gallipoli on the 6th of October 1915 and joined his battalion in the field in dug outs on the eastern slope of Lala Baba the following day. On the 29th of October he reported sick and was diagnosed with jaundice. He left the battalion on the 1st of November and was evacuated from Suvla Bay on the 10th of November on board the "Kildonan Castle", arriving at Southampton on the 28th of November.

On the 7th of December 1915 a Medical Board sat at Osborne to consider is case and reported:

"He got jaundice on Nov 10th (sic) on the peninsular after being out about seven weeks. Admitted Nov 27th-he has now recovered though still debilitated." He was granted leave for a month from the 8th of December 1915.

On the 6th of January 1916 a Medical Board sat at Caxton Hall and reported:-

"He is still debilitated. Sleeps very badly and is subject to headaches. Cannot walk more than a short distance without undue fatigue." He was granted a further two months leave.

On the 8th of March 1916 a medical Board sat at the Military Hospital, Fort Pitt Chatham:-

"The jaundice is now better but he still gets easily tired and at present has a slight attack of influenza, but not enough to keep him off duty." He was posted to the 2/4th Battalion of his regiment based at Horsham.

A further Medical Board which sat at the War Hospital, Croydon on the 8th of April 1916 found him to be fit for general service and he received order to rejoin his battalion on the 25th of May.

On the 3rd of June 1916 he embarked at Devonport on board the HT "Royal George" and landed at Alexandria on the 13th of June. He joined his battalion in the field at Ismailia, with another officer and draft of 107 men, on the 22nd of June and relinquished the rank of Temporary Lieutenant the same day. He attended a course at the Imperial School of Instruction where he passed with 88% of the available marks. He saw service in Palestine and was appointed as a Temporary Captain while in command of a Company from the 26th of May to the 16th of June 1917.

On the 30th of August 1917 he reported to the battalion Medical Officer suffering from severe diarrhoea and was admitted to the 21st General Hospital, Alexandria on the 4th of September. By the 6th of September he was reported as being "dangerously ill" and he died at 4.55am on the 9th of September 1917.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Haileybury School.
Went on to Haileybury School

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