George O'Brine's name is spelled diffrently on his family gravestone, which was initially confusing. Using the service number on his RSA stone I was able to find his record.
George joined the Army in 1917 but was not as healthy as other soldiers - he was trasnsferred from the NZ Rifle Brigae to the entranching Battalion in time for the unit to be made prisoners during the 1918 Spring Offensive. He was at Lamsdorf PoW camp and bad conditions there led to a diagnosis of tuberculosis when he was liverated. He spent time in hospital in England before being repatriated.
According to the Wyndham Farmer recently-returned soldier George O’Brien, who was a prisoner of war in Germany for some time after the armistice, has a good word to say for the German nurses. On the other hand, the soldiers, he declared, were worse than animals. O’Brien brought home a curio with him in the shape of a paper towel, which is described as being "rougher than a sack." -Southland Times, 28/6/1919.
Private George O’Brine, a native of Wyndham, died at Waimate on Wednesday. Private O'Brine was a prisoner of war and returned home in a shattered state of health. Mrs O'Brine made her home in South Canterbury, in the hope that the northern climate would benefit her son's health, but he gradually sank. Much sympathy will be felt for the bereaved family. The interment took place yesterday at Wyndham. -Mataura Ensign, 10/4/1920.
Local and General
A returned soldier named George O’Brien died on Wednesday evening in the Waimate hospital. Deceased was a prisoner in Germany for eight months and owing to lack of food and other hardships he contracted tuberculosis. He had been a patient in the Palmerston Sanatorium. -Temuka Leader, 13/4/1920.
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