| John Orr was the son of Samuel and Evelyn May Orr. He was born about 1921.
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| He had links to Pomeroy, County Tyrone.
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| A newspaper report from August 1940 mentions a Jackie Orr, son of Constable Orr of Pomeroy.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 17th August 1940: Pomeroy
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| Mr Jackie Orr, of the Royal Air Force (son of Constable Orr and Mrs Orr of Pomeroy), was on holidays in Pomeroy at the weekend. Lance Corporal James Creggan, R.I.F., was also on furlough during the past week.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 18 July 1942: Pomeroy
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| Sergeant Pilot Jackie Orr, Royal Air Force (son of Constable Samuel Orr, R.U.C, of Pomeroy), has the distinction of being Pomeroy’s first pilot. Having joined the Royal Air Force some two and a half years ago, he received his wings recently and is now a fully-fledged pilot.
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| John Orr was based with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at Castle Archdale, County Fermanagh, which was the largest flying boat base during the Second World War. Situated on Lower Lough Erne the base was used by the flying boats to patrol the Western Atlantic waters and the sea approaches of the United Kingdom.
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| On 30th December, 1942, the aircraft Catalina Mark 1B, serial number FP239 of 131 Operational Training Unit as part of Coastal Command took off from Killadeas RAF Station on a non-operational training flight. The weather conditions deteriorated earlier and more severely than was forecast.
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| However as the cloud base at ETA was forecast at 600 feet, with visibility 5-6 miles, a diversion was not ordered. The aircraft obtained homing bearings from the local H/F D/F station and continued on course.
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| The crew became lost in bad weather, and at 5:15pm, crashed 17 miles north-west of Omagh. It flew into Reaghan Hill in greatly reduced visibility.
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| All on board the aircraft were killed. The eleven crew were:
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978191 Pilot: Sgt John Samuel Orr RAFVR Age 21
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1222870 Pilot: Sgt Frederick Herbert Hilling RAF Age 22
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AUS/6240 Fl/Eng: Sgt George Wilson Lowther Age 25
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J/11950 Nav: F/O. Robert Mercer Adams RCAF Age 20
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1233795 Flight Mech/Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Edward Slade RAFVR Age 20
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1026077 W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt William Nichol RAFVR Age 21
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1132720 W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt Arthur Horton Perkins RAFVR Age 28
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1198310 W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt Charles Bernard Ridge RAFVR
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49003 Air/Gnr: F/O. Matthew James Hall Newman RAF Age 25
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1058083 Air/Gnr: Sgt Daniel Ward Yates RAFVR Age 21
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1137149 Air/Gnr: LAC Leslie Greenhalgh RAFVR Age 22
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 2nd January 1943: Pomeroy
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| The death on active service is announced of Sergeant Pilot John Samuel Orr, Royal Air Force, eldest son of Constable and Mrs Samuel Orr, of Pomeroy. He was 21 years of age.
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated 9th January 1943:
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| A gloom was cast over Pomeroy on Wednesday 30th December, when the news spread of the death on active service of Sergeant Pilot Jackie Orr, Royal Air Force, son of Constable and Mrs Samuel Orr, of Pomeroy. The deceased, who was twenty one years of age, had been home on leave at Christmas, and had only returned to duty a few days prior to his tragic demise. He was a favourite among his numerous friends at Pomeroy, who deeply mourn his loss, and the utmost sympathy of the community is extended to his parents, brother and sister in their very sad bereavement. The funeral, which took place at Irvinestown on Monday, was attended by many friends from Pomeroy.
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| Sergeant (Pilot) John Orr is buried at Irvinestown Church of Ireland Churchyard, County Fermanagh. His inscription reads ‘THOSE WHO LOVED HIM WILL NEVER FORGET’.
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| Sergeant (Pilot) John Orr is commemorated on the Dungannon War Memorial.
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| On 30th December 1994, a memorial plaque was unveiled on Reaghan Hill by Evelyn McGuckin (of Pomeroy), sister of Sergeant John Orr.
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| The CWGC record Sergeant (Pilot) John Orr as the son of Samuel and Evelyn May Orr of Armagh.
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