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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Albert William Orr

In memory of:

Gunner Albert William Orr

November 21, 1950
Canoe River, British Columbia

Military Service


Service Number:

D-800444

Age:

30

Force:

Army

Unit:

Royal Canadian Artillery

Citation(s):

Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & Clasp, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45

Additional Information


Born:

February 15, 1920
Calgary, Alberta

Enlistment:

August 14, 1950
Montreal, Quebec

Son of Joshua and Jean Isabel (nee McLeish) Orr of Calgary, Alberta. Brother of Roy Gordon and Kathleen Elizabeth.

Commemorated on the Wall of Remembrance, Canoe River Memorial, Korean War Cairn and Canoe River Monument.

Commemorated on Page 56 of the Korean War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Digital Collection

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  • Photo of Albert William Orr– Albert William Orr, a member of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, was tragically killed at the age of 30, in the Canoe River train wreck. In November 1950, his regiment was on the way to Fort Lewis, Washington for further training before proceeding to fight in the Korean War.  The troop train collided head on at 50 mph with another train heading directly towards it on the same track. 17 soldiers, along with CRN crewmembers, died while enroute to fight in the Korean War.
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star November 1950. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Memorial at Canoe River– Memorial at Canoe River train crash site.  In November of 1950 thousands of soldiers were sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, for training before their journey to Korea. They went by rail.  At 10:35 in the morning of November 21st, a troop train carrying 340 soldiers - soldiers of the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery - was just east of the village of Canoe River, British Columbia. An express train on the same track was speeding in the opposite direction. And the two crashed, head-on. The troop train was tossed into the air, its engine thrown back onto the coach cars behind it. Steel cars were shattered by other steel cars in a raging inferno.  Seventeen Canadian soldiers died that morning, and the bodies of four of them were never found. Many of those who escaped death suffered horrible injury including massive burns.  The sacrifice made by the men at Canoe River was no less than that of all war veterans who died in the service of our country.  These Canoe River men also died so that others might live in peace. We remain eternally in their debt.
  • Monument– Reverse of Korean War Veterans War Memorial.  It is a memorial to the victims of the Canoe River crash. The monument is located in the Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • Inscription
  • Plaque– Memorial plaques for Gunner Albert William Orr, Private James Oliver Ouellette,  Private Patrick William O'Connor and Private Kenneth Dominic O'Brien on the Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance in Meadowvale Cemetery, Brampton, Ontario.
  • Memorial– A section of the Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance in Meadowvale Cemetery, Brampton, Ontario. The memorial consists of a central section and 13 other sections containing memorial plaques for each of the 516 Canadian service men who died while serving with the Canadian Forces in the United Nations operations in Korea. It was erected by the Korea Veterans Association of Canada and was dedicated on July 27, 1997.
  • Memorial– Central Section of Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance Left Part
  • Inscription– Central Section of Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance Centre Part
  • Memorial– Central Section of Korea Veterans National Wall of Remembrance Right Part

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