REMEMBERING OUR LOCAL HEROES – LIEUTENANT JOHN RICHARD ORR

Lt John Richard Orr was born on the 15th January 1892; He was part of the second family of Samuel Orr when he married Mary Jane Strain. He had an elder sister named Maud and two younger brothers named William James and David. He attended Ballyculter National School in Downpatrick and then attended Skerries Academy, Dublin.  John decided to move to Canada on the 27th May 1911 and lived in Collingwood, Ontario as a Bank Clerk for the Canadian Bank of Commerce.

On the 4th April 1916, Lt John Richard Orr enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and, following training, he sailed to the UK in May 1917.

John then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and served with 80 Squadron, before becoming a member of the RAF on its inception on 1 April 1918.

On the 18th July 1918 John brought down a 2-seater enemy fighter at the French lines of Buisson de Huthisson. Following this on the 30th July 1918 he also was 1 of several pilots in a dogfight over the battlegrounds of Fismes against 7 German Fokkers. John sent down one of the four enemy Fokkers.

John was killed in action on the 9th August 1918 when he was only 26 years old while flying a Sopwith Camel –serial code D4425_ whilst on a low bombing mission close to the Somme. His body is laid to rest in Beacon Cemetery, Belgium.

A quotation from John’s Squadron Commander:

“He was one of my most gallant and reliable officers, and loved by everybody.

“I had hoped to get him a decoration before long in recognition of his splendid work, but now his only reward is a gap which cannot be filled in the hearts of all of us.”

The story of John Richard Orr is even more poignant as he was the Great Great Grand-Uncle of Cadet Lance Corporal Robert Orr. The research project was carried out by Cadet Lance Corporal Lauren Robinson, Cadet Lance Corporal Rowan Adair and Cadet Lance Corporal Robert Orr, pictured below.