He joined the infantry in 1932 and by the outbreak of
World War II was a
Hauptmann. He took part in the invasions of
Poland in 1939 and
France and he was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross () for his role in the latter campaign on 19 July 1940. Borgmann was then posted to the
Eastern Front and was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 February 1942 when serving with Infanterie-Regiment 46. He was promoted to
major and appointed to the Army Staff at
Adolf Hitler's headquarters as an adjutant in October 1943 and was then promoted to
Oberstleutnant. On 20 July 1944 he was standing at the end of the conference table close to von Stauffenberg's briefcase bomb.
Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt and
Oberst Heinz Brandt who were standing to his left and
stenographer Heinz Berger to his right were all killed by the explosion, but Borgmann survived with serious injuries. After recovering he was posted to an infantry division as an
Oberst. He was appointed commander of the Volksgrenadier-Division "Scharnhorst". Borgmann was killed during a low-level air attack on his staff car in April 1945. ==Awards==