Taerum, Torger Harlo Died

Back

Personal Information

Rank F/L
Forename(s) Torger Harlo
Surname Taerum
Gender M
Age 23
Decorations DFC
Date of Death 16-09-1943
Next of Kin Son of Guttorm Torger Taerum and Hilda Ingeline Taerum (née Olson), of Milo, Alberta.
TAERUM TH

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Avro Lancaster III
Serial Number EE144
Markings AJ-S

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country Germany
Burial/Memorial Place Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Grave Reference Coll. grave 16. B. 13-16.

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 104
TAERUM TH

Location

Row -
Panel 104
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 1
Panel Number 104

Enlistment Information

Service Number J/16688
Service Royal Canadian Air Force
Group 5
Squadron 617
Squadron Motto Apres moi, le deluge (After me the flood)
Trade Navigator
Country of Origin Canada

Other Memorials

Location St. John the Baptist Church, Bamford, Derbyshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Framed painting and Framed inscribed Scroll
Memorial Text A painting given to Bamford Church by 617 Sqn RAF
Location South Tower, Ladybower Dam, Derbyshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Stone Memorial & Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Commemorating the raid on the Rhur Dams by 617 Sqn RAF in May 1943
Location Adjacent to South Tower, Ladybower Dam, Derbyshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Information Board
Memorial Text An information board detailing the raid on the Rhur Dams by 617 Sqn RAF in May 1943
Location St. Vincents Hall, Grantham, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Stone Memorial & Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Commemorating the HQ of 5Gp Bomber Command 1937-1945 where the Rhur Dams raid by 617 Sqn RAF was controlled from
Location Thorpe Camp Museum, Tattershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Stone Memorial and inscribed Sqn Badges
Memorial Text In memory of all who served at RAF Woodhall Spa 1941 - 1945
Location Jubilee Gardens, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Stone Memorial and inscribed slate tablets
Memorial Text A memorial to the members of 617 Sqn RAF who gave their lives during WW2
Location Jubilee Gardens, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Marble Memorial
Memorial Text A memorial to the members of 617 Sqn RAF who have given their lives since 1945
Location Eyebrook Reservoir, Caldecott, Rutland
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Commemorating 617 Sqn RAF which practiced here before the Rhur Dams raid in May 1943
Location Lincoln County Hospital Chapel, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text In memory of Officers, NCO's & Other Ranks of 5 (Bomber) Group RAF who gave their lives Sept 1939 - May 1945

Miscellaneous Information

Torger was born on 22 May 1920 in Milo, Alberta. Torger was only ten years old when his father drowned in Lake McGregor trying to save two boys who had fallen off their raft. His mother Hilda was born in Milton, USA and his father, a well known local farmer, was born in Norway. He had a sister Eleanor Iola and two brothers Verne Atle and Lorne Clifford. Verne was in the Signals Office in Ottawa and R/27858 Sgt. Lorne Taerum, 550 Sqn died 3 February 1945. Torger attended Lake McGregor school 1927- 1937 (Grades I- XI) and Milo High School 1937-1938 (Grade XII). He also studied the Theory of a Wireless and Telegraphy at the Radio College of Canada. The sports he was interested in were baseball and rugby. Torger was working as a labourer for North Western Brass Co. between April-July 1940 when he enlisted on 19 July 1940.
After training Torger was sent to the U.K. where he arrived at 3 PRC on 4 August 1941, 16 OTU 23 August 1941, 50 Sqn 27 December 1941 and 617 Squadron on 3 April 1943. He then had several postings eventually reposted to 617 on 11 September 1943. Sadly Torger was to lose his life just a few days later on 16 September 1943.
He had taken part in Operation Chastise- the Dams Raid, for which he was awarded the DFC. He was known to his crew mates as Terry.

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2128/6

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Name Outcome
Deering G A (F/O) Died
Holden G W (S/L) Died
Hutchison R E G (F/L) Died
Meikle T A (P/O) Died
Powell D J D (Sgt) Died
Pringle H J (F/O) Died
Spafford F M (F/O) Died

Last Operation Information

Start Date 15-09-1943
End Date 16-09-1943
Takeoff Station Coningsby
Day/Night Raid Night (95% moon)
Operation Ladbergen- Dortmund Ems canal. Resumption of previous day's abortive operation.
Reason for Aircraft Loss Shot down by flak
Start new losses database search Back
 
 
 
 

Please Wait

Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.