Lorne Clifford Taerum Flight Sergeant R/278581 550 RAF Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force February 13, 1926 Milo, Strathmore, Alberta October 15, 1943 Calgary, Alberta Calgary, Alberta 17 6 feet, 6 ½ inches Medium Brown Brown Single Student Lutheran Hilda Taerum (Mother) February 3, 1945 18 Oploo (Westerbeek) RC Cemetery, Netherlands Row 1, Grave 2

Name: Rank: Service No: Service: Date of Birth: Place of Birth: Date of Enlistment: Place of Enlistment: Address at Enlistment: Age at Enlistment: Height: Complexion: Eye Colour: Hair Colour: Marital Status: Trade: Religion: Next of Kin: Date of Death: Age at Death: Cemetery: Grave Reference:

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Lorne Clifford Taerum was the son of Guttorm Tonger Taerum and Hilda Ingeline Olson Taerum, of Calgary, Alberta, and the brother of Torger Harold Taerum who died on September 16, 1943, while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. His father was born in Norway. His mother was born in North Dakota, USA. Lorne’s father died before the war. Lorne enjoyed rugby and baseball. Prior to enlisting, he worked briefly as a truck driver from July to September of 1943. After enlistment and initial training in Canada, Lorne embarked in Halifax on June 16, 1944, arriving in the UK on June 24, 1944. He trained with No. 30 Operational Training Unit (30 OTU), RAF, from July 21 to October 19, 1944, at RAF Wymeswold near Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. Air Gunner Taerum was killed in action on air operations over Europe on February 3, 1945 at 7:30 pm, when the aircraft, of which he was a member of the crew, was shot down by enemy night fighters fifteen miles south of Nijmegen, Holland. He was buried at the Jwist Cemetery in Holland. Jwist was later renamed the Oploo (Westerbeek) Cemetery.