Trying to find Bobby's relatives

Nov 21 2008

I AM trying to trace any relatives of Sergeant Robert (Bobby) Orr, MM and Bar of the 6/7th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Bobby was killed in action in France on March 22 1918 and my great uncle, Sergeant Joe Hughes, Chevalier Legion d’Honneur, was standing in the trench next to Bobby when he was killed.

Joe was wounded on the same day. The RSF recruited in the Ayr area although Joe was from Derbyshire and joined a Scottish regiment, to see Scotland. He only saw it long enough to collect his kit before moving to England for training prior to going to France. Joe was an interesting character and knew Percy Toplis, The Monocled Mutineer, as they were from the same village.

I have a cassette tape of Joe and my father in discussion about life in WWI and I would very much like to share this with any of Bobby’s relatives as Joe describes what happened on that fateful day. Sadly, although Joe recalls Bobby being buried, he has no known grave and is remembered on the memorial at Arras. My two brothers and I have been to Arras to pay our respects, not only to Bobby but to the many colleagues of his who remain there with him still, never to be forgotten.

Chris Hughes

Melton Mowbray

tel: 01664 568 556

sedgewarblers@tiscali.

co.uk