Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-21
UNFIT" OFFICER
LED FIERY RUSH
Philadelphian in Two Bat
ties After Discharge
for Disability
HEADS MEN IN CHARGE
Captain George NJ. Orf, of
Tooth, a "Civilian" in
Marne Victory

Captain George NJ. orr. this city.
went through the terrific fighting near
rhateauThierry and at Fismes after
he had been discharged from the army
for physical disability.
The officer, who has just returned
from the battlefront, was attached to
the l09th Regiment, which includes
many members of the old First Regi-
ment y. G. =.
The fact that Captain orr fought on
after ne was discharged was revealed
today by Stanley Bowers. a partner of
former Sheriff Wilson ". Brown. father
of Colonel Millard H. Brown. who com
nanded the 109th when it received its
baptism of fire. Mr.. Bowers learned the
story from letters from others members
Of the regiment
Captain orr, who is now at his home
631I Ross street Germantown. received
the paper which made him a civilian on
the afternoon of July Il. He imme-
diately wrote to the military authorities
asking that it be revoked II set forth
that he had been found to have an in
ternal ailment that untitled him for
front-line duty. He had been acting as
statistical officer of the regiment
At midnight Of the same DAY the Ger
mans launched their attack. The bar
rage they laid down was described by
tire war The boche was hoping to
crumple the morale Of the Americans at
the start of their participation in the
war
Captain orr could have avoided eX.
posing himself TO the perils of the furi-
Gus attack He was no longer in Gov
ernment service. because of the bit Of
paper he carried inside his shirt. Ac-
cOrding to- his comrades in the fight. how
ever. he forgot all about the discharge
and plunged into the fray at the head
of his men.
Captain Unscathrd
II was in this engagement that Com
pany NJ. in which Lieutenant r. w. b.
Fales was an officer, covered itself with
glory At the end of the fight Fales
was the only officer left alive.
Captain orr came through the battle
unscathed. In the brief lull that fol-
lowed. however, he had to endure bonn
bardment of jokes from his fellow war
riors that was almost as bad as the fire
of the Germans. They had learned of
his discharge and Immediately refused
to address him as "Captain." 1t was as
Mister" orr on every hand The or
derly who served the officers mess
scored off the eX-captain by asking why
he didn't fall in with the enlisted men
If he wanted chow"
Captain Off took his kidding" as
stoically as he had taken the hail of
German shells. He was hoping the dis
charge would be revoked. in which case.
he figured. he could do some kidding"
of his own i'm rebuttal.
While waiting for the revocation. he
went through the second hard battle
fought by the 109th. This was at
Fismes. Again, Captain orr escaped in
jury. but ii was in this fight that LIEU
tenant Coward. who had been placed in
command of Company NJ and Lieuten-
ant Fales lost their lives.
Army Rules InHexibIe
After his terrible experiences in the
two battles, Captain orr felt he had
proved his ability to serve in the front
line. But army regulations are In
flexible. The surgeon who had examined
him had recommended his discharge
and on August 9. after fighting nearly a,
month as civilian, he received orders
to proceed to the chief embarkation mort
and take ship for home.
He arrived in this city last week.
When questioned about his UNIQUE ex
perience as an outsider" in battle. he
merely smiled and launched into a
eulogy of Colonel Brown.
Captain orr corrected rumors that
the 1O9th had been ''cut to pieces" say
ing the report was caused by letters
written home by men in companies that
had suffered severely.
Captain orr will be inducted into the
service again in a few days as an Of
fcer in the Ordnance Department. His
experience of nineteen years in the
Pennsylvania guard will make him in
valuable there