Memorial

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1st Lt Earl E. Tjomsland attended South High School and was employed by the Miswest Electrical Wholesale Co.

He enlisted in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 2 June 1942.

He never saw his nine-month-old daughter, Patricia.

At approximately 20 minutes after departure of English coast while flying about 53º15'N - 03º30'E, the aircraft left the formation, peeling off to the right and flew in a westerly direction. One engine was feathered. Flying control of the home base of this aircraft received a message from this aircraft asking at what position their bomb load could be dropped. Requested information was immediately given but the message was never acknowledged. At 0943 hours the message was given that an aircraft was ditching. The aircraft landed on the water while flying from South to North, landed safely and remained afloat for approximately one minute. No persons were observed to leave the aircraft. Eventually two bodies (both men, Major James E Blount (Co-Pilot) and T/Sgt Frank J Colestro (T.T. Gunner) were drowned) and a empty dinghy were picked up near the scene of the ditching. No other crew member could be found so it is therefore believed that the remainder of the crew drowned.

1st Lt Tjomsland washed up on the West Zeeland Flanders coast. Buried by the Germans at the general cemetery in Groede, Netherlands. Excavated on July 20, 1945 and transferred to Margraten, Netherlands.