The “Wilhelm Scream” is a stock sound-effect that has been used in hundreds of films over the years as an inside-joke/homage among filmmakers. It was first heard in the 1951 film Distant Drums but is famously named after Private Wilhelm who is shot with an arrow and screams in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River.
The scream rose to fame in recent decades when Star Wars sound designer Ben Burtt used it in his work on Star Wars and other films. And other filmmakers have followed the lead—such as Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, and Peter Jackson—and used it themselves in their films.
If you are unaware of what the Wilhelm Scream sounds like, watch this video compilation which includes clips of it’s use in Star Wars films among others:
Since each Star Wars film including the prequels has had at least one occurrence of the “Wilhelm Scream” in them, can anyone recall/remember if the Wilhelm Scream was heard anywhere in The Force Awakens? I realize the film is still in theaters and sources for actual clips don’t exist at this point, but some description of a scene and perhaps who might have screamed the Wilhelm Scream would be appreciated.