| William James Orr was the eldest son of John and Sarah Jane Orr. John Orr and Sarah Noble were married on 13th September 1895 in the district of Dungannon.
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| William James Orr was born on 6th June 1896 in the Killyman area of Dungannon. He was the oldest of at least eleven children.
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| It seems from the 1901 census he was brought up by his grandparents for a time. The 1901 census does not list William as living with the family at house 41 in Thomas Street, Saint Anne's Ward in Belfast. John Orr is a blacksmith.
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| The 1911 census lists William James as age 14 living with the family at house 39 in Ward Street, Falls, Belfast. The census lists a number of the family as being born in Killyman, including William James.
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| The family moved back to Tyrone sometime afterwards, to reside in Killyman / Ballynakelly.
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| William Orr was employed by Messrs. John Stevenson & Co., Coalisland, prior to volunteering.
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| William was a member of Ballynakelly Ulster Volunteer Force (U.V.F.).
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| William Orr enlisted in Omagh with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
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| 1915
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| Private William Orr arrived in France with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 5th October 1915.
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| 1916
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| Private William James Orr was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916, age 20. Unusually for this day, Private Orr is reported as ‘died of wounds’
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| From the Tyrone Courier dated 17 August 1916:
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| Mr John Orr, blacksmith, Ballynakelly, has been notified that his son, Private William J Orr, Tyrone Volunteers, is missing since the advance on July 1
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| From the Mid Ulster Mail dated Saturday 19th August 1916: Private William J Orr
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| Mr John Orr, blacksmith, Ballynakelly, Coalisland, has been officially notified that his son, Private William J Orr, Tyrone Volunteers (who was quite a young lad), is missing since the advance on 1st July.
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| 1917
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| From the Tyrone Courier dated 10 May 1917
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| Mr John Orr, Blacksmith, Ballynakelly, has received intimation that his son, Private, William J Orr, Inniskilling Fusiliers (Ulster Division), who had been previously reported missing, was killed in action on 1st July last. The deceased soldier was employed by Messrs. John Stevenson & Co., Coalisland, prior to volunteering and was a member of Ballynakelly U.V.F.
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| Memorials
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| Private William James Orr has no known grave has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme. The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20th March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.
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| Private William James Orr is commemorated locally on Dungannon War Memorial.
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| The CWGC records William James as the son of Mrs Sarah Jane Orr, of Ballynakelly, Coalisland, County Tyrone.
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