Canadian Army SSGT Ross Orr: US Army Distinguished Service Cross Recipient WWII

On August 26, 1944, near Villeneuve-Loubet, France, Canadian Staff Sergeant Ross Orr made a bold move that saved lives. When enemy machine guns blocked a vital Allied supply route, Orr charged in alone under fire to take them out.

Without orders, he silenced the first nest and forced the surrender of the others, reopening the path for urgently needed supplies. For this incredible act of courage, the U.S. Army awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross.

Distinguished Service Cross Recipient:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Ross W. Orr, Staff Sergeant, Canadian Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Fifth Company, Second Regiment, Special Service Force, in action against enemy forces near Villeneuve-Loubet, France on 26 August 1944. When the only route for urgently needed supplies was cut off by three enemy machine guns emplaced along the road, Staff Sergeant Orr, without orders, elected to remove this obstacle. After selecting three men to provide covering fire, he approached alone to within seventy-five yards of the first gun. Armed with a submachine gun, he jumped into the middle of the road and demanded surrender. The enemy gunner immediately opened fire on him, but Staff Sergeant Orr stood his ground and seriously wounded both of the crew with effective fire. Under continued assault by this four-man team, the other two machine gun crews finally surrendered and the road was opened to desperately needed supplies. Soon afterward the Fifth Company occupied a castle on a hilltop to protect this supply route and Sergeant Orr immediately organized the area against counterattack. The enemy, two hundred strong, strove continuously and fiercely to dislodge his group from this stronghold. In the face of death-defying circumstances, Sergeant Orr with his sub-machine gun put an enemy machine gun which was covering an approaching enemy demolition party out of action. The demolition party was dispersed with severe losses by rifle fire and hand grenades effectively used under Sergeant Orr's direction. In another similar counter-attack, Sergeant Orr fired his sub-machine gun from a blazing barn into an attacking enemy formation. This attack was broken up and resulted in heavy losses to the enemy. Approximately one hundred and fifty enemy losses were sustained during the day. A great many of these casualties were inflicted by Sergeant Orr and his platoon. His superb leadership and inspiring personal example throughout the battle were a major contributory factor in the destruction of an enemy defense line that seriously threatened to delay the advance of the entire regiment.

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Photos Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

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