Date of birth:

September 28th, 1916 (London, Great Britain)

Date of death:

August 11th, 2003 (Fareham/Hampshire, Great Britain)

Nationality:

British

Stan Orr first attempted to join the RAF but failed on the eyesight test.
Subsequently he applied for the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and passed all tests, even for the same eyesight test in the same building where he failed for previously.
He undertook seaman training on the HMS Argus at the beginning of 1939 and after that started his flying training. In April he went to No. 707 Squadron at Hyeres in Southern France for decklanding training on HMS Argus.
He was one of the first FAA pilots to see action over Dunkirk in late May/early June, flying Blackburn Skuas. The Skuas were replaced by Fairley Fulmars and in August 1940 he went on board HMS Illustrious and sailed for the Mediterranean.
After the Germans damaged the carrier considerably , the Squadron operated from Malta. The arrival of the HMS Formidable in April made operating in the Eastern Mediterranean possibly until the Germans damaged this carrier too. It was withdrawn and the Squadron began to operate from Egypt/Palestine.
In November 1941 he was restationed to the UK to become an instructor.
From there he was sent to the USA to take command of No. 806 Squadron which went un board HMS Victorious, sailing to Hawaii. But when they got there, he contracted polio and left the Squadron. He made a recovery and was reposted to the UK and took in August 1943 command of no. 804 Squadron on Grumman Hellcats. From HMS Emperor he saw his last action of the war, flying over the Norwegian coastal area, inluding attacts om the Tirpitz.
In September 1944, he became chief flying instructor at RNAS Henstridge before attending the Empire Test Pilot School at Boscombe Down. On completion of the course, he joined the RN Test Squadron and spent an exciting two years as a test pilot during which he received the Air Force Cross. He saw further action in Korea on the HMS Ocean and retired from the service in 1966. He became marine superintendent of Vospers Thornycroft for the next five years, where he was involved in fast patrol boat development. He subsequently became a commercial agent for a number of engineering firms.
During his long career, he flew over 100 different aircraft.

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• - SHORES, CH. & WILLIAMS, C., Aces High, Grub Street, London, 1994.
  - Third Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35130 published on the 4 April 1941
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 35204 published on the 27 June 1941
  - Fifth Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 36537 published on the 26 May 1944
  - Supplement to The London Gazette Issue 38161 published on the 30 December 1947
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38161/supplement/39/data.pdf
  - Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Archive Index of British Naval Aviation
  - The Telegraph - Obituaries
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38161/supplement/39/data.pdf