Peter George Pokrifcsak was born on January 12, 1921, in Martins Creek, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John S. Pokrifcsak and Julia Ksenak Pokrifcsak.
Peter served in the 849th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on the B-24 #42-94885 "Maxwell House" during World War II. On June 6, 1944, they were returning from a tactical mission to France in support of the D-Day landings. Their no. 3 engine went empty, and after three minutes, the other engines began to sputter, going out simultaneously. The crew was ordered to bail out, but two officers, Lt. J. B. Neal, co-pilot, and Lt. W.J. Bogan, did not jump.
Boats were sent out from the beach to pick up men (who had bailed out) before the plane had landed. Two men, S/Sgt J. K. Convery and S/Sgt Smetzer were picked up by fishermen one-half hour after leaving the ship. S/Sgt W. H. Murphy and S/Sgt Glenn Larson were in the water for one and one-half hours and had drifted with tide approximately six miles along the coast eastward to Portland. S/Sgt Larson was strangled by his Mae West and parachute, as a consequence, died. Lt. P.G. Pokrifcsak was also drowned. T/Sgt Hild and F.W Kemp were also jumped but went missing.
2Lt Pokrifcsak is now buried in the Church Hill Cemetery, Mount Bethel, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, USA.
B-24 #42-94885 "Maxwell House" crew:
1st Lieutenant Douglas J. McAusland (Pilot)– Returned to Duty
2nd Lieutenant Jerome B. Neal (Copilot)- Returned to Duty
2nd Lieutenant William J. Bogan (Navigator) – Returned to Duty
2nd Lieutenant Peter G. Pokrifcsak (Bombardier) – Killed in Action
Staff Sergeant Francis W. Kemp (Radio Operator)- Missing in Action
Staff Sergeant Marvin E. Hild (Top Turret Gunner) – Missing in Action
Staff Sergeant William H. Murphy (Ball Turret Gunner) – Returned to Duty
Staff Sergeant James K. Convery (Right Waist Gunner) – Returned to Duty
Staff Sergeant Harvey C. Smetzer (Left Waist Gunner)- Returned to Duty
Staff Sergeant Glenn N. Larson (Tail Gunner) – Killed in Action
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.ww2research.com