Pacific Wrecks - Authors, Historians & Researchers

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

Pacific Wrecks Authors, Historians & Researchers
Profiles of authors, historians and researchers involved with World War II Pacific War and topics related to Pacific Wrecks.

	Bob Alford Author of Darwin's Air War his research and writing explores the history of Darwin and Australia's Northern Territory. Working with veterans, on both sides and associations Alford has helped preserve wreck sites and research history. Today, he lives in Thailand.
	Dan E. Bailey Author of WWII Wrecks of the Truk Lagoon has just published a this impressive new, and comprehensive edition that culminates over eight years of new research, painstaking accuracy in creating maps, and photos. Learn about diving the lagoon, discoveries and changes.
	William Bartsch Author of the exceptional book Doomed From the Start, detailing American Pursuit Squadrons in the Philippines. A traveler to many WWII Pacific locations, he shares his thoughts about issues related to Pacific history, preservation and wreck photos from his personal collection.
	Steve Birdsall Author of Flying Buccaneers, researcher and author focused on Pacific B-17 Flying Fortresses and units. Director of "Black Jack's Last Mission" and collaborator and co-author on other publications.
	Phil Bradley Phil Bradley, of Australia has traveled extensively in Papua New Guinea, written for After the Battle Magazine and is currently writing a book about Shaggy Ridge - where his father served in WWII. Also, he has contributed an extensive wreck photo gallery.
	Michael Claringbould Founder of Aerothentic Publications, author of Black Sunday, Forty of the Fifth and The Forgotten Fifth among others. Undoubtedly one of the most knowable person in the world on the 5th Air Force, he has also discovered many wreck sites and assisted with MIA issues.
	Francesca Cumero Dog Tag researcher. Inspired by her great uncle's Pacific WWII service, Francesca began to research dog tags and helps to return tags to surprised veterans and their relatives
	Charles Darby Active in travel and aircraft restoration since the 1960's in New Zealand, and a traveler to New Guinea and the Solomons, he is best know as the author of the book WWII Aircraft Wrecks... And Where to Find Them. Today, he is still active in WWII aviation, restoring P-40's.
	Richard Dunn Researcher and writer on Japanese aviation. Dunn has done amazing research using actual Japanese unit and signal intercepts to tell the complete story of what really happened in the air war over the Pacific. Also, special article topics written for Pacific Wrecks.
	Donna Esposito Author of the novel Flying Time and director of the library and archives at The Empire State Aerosciences Museum. She has visited the Solomon Islands and contributed articles to Island Life magazine for the South Pacific WWII Museum in Vanuatu.
	Bruce Gamble Author of The Black Sheep and Black Sheep One two impressive books about the real USMC's VMF-214 made famous by the television show, "Ba Ba Black Sheep" and the unit's most famous personality and commander, Gregory "Pappy" Boyington.
	Lawrence Hickey Larry Hickey researched and wrote Warpath Across the Pacific the definitive history of the 345th Bombardment Group, a book described as "the finest history of an air combat unit ever published" and founder of International Historical Research Associates (IHRA).
	Boris Ilchenko Born in Kamchatka in the Far East of Russia. His interest in World War II began hearing stories from his namesake grandfather who was a veteran of the August 18, 1945 amphibious landing on Shumshu Island (Shimushu) as a member of an 82mm mortar crew. This landing was part of Kuril'skaya Desantnaya Operaciya (Kurile's Landing Operation) and was the last battles of World War II in the Pacific.
	Allan Kelly Author of a book about Persevered Japanese Tanks, Kelly has traveled extensively in the Pacific in research. He contributes an interview and travel diaries for recent trips to the Corregidor, Angaur, and Cairns.
	James Lansdale Avid researcher of World War II aviation history with a focus on the Pacific War. He was the manager of J-Aircraft and served as the site administrator for the J-Aircraft Message Boards and was a founding member of the Pacific Air War historians (PAWH).
	Daniel Leahy Daniel has been interested in Second World War aviation since about age ten when hearing stories of his grandfather’s cousin, Keith O’Halloran, who served with the Royal Australian Air Force and trained in Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS).
	Robert Livingstone Author and researcher of B-24 Liberators in the Pacific. Author of Under the Southern Cross and Strike Back. Involved with several websites and the Unbroken movie.
	Earl Hinz Author of Pacific Island Battlegrounds of WWII: Then and Now. Hinz is a veteran himself, and shares a series of additional wreck photographs from his travels throughout the Pacific.
	Lex McAulay Experienced the war as a young child in northern Queensland. He is a Pacific War researcher and author, of books including the "Battle of the Bismarck Sea" and newest book "MacArthur's Eagles". He is also the founder of publishing company, Banner Books.
	Dave McComb Dave McComb is a management consultant specializing in business process development. A lifelong student of World War II destroyer history, he has in recent years promoted the subject extensively via the web and numerous articles. He is president of the Destroyer History Foundation
	Tom McLeod Curator of the Museum of the Pacific in Texas, the son of a Pacific veteran, traveler and collector of many rare Pacific items in his museum. Also, author of Always Ready about the U.S. Army 147th Infantry Regiment.
	Jack Morris USMC F4U pilot and veteran. Author of One Angel Left.. A Memoir about his wartime experiences, bailout over Rabaul, and escape and rescue via PBY. He had the unique distinction of returning to Rabaul, and seeing the wreckage of his former F4U Corsair!
	Gary Nila A former Los Angeles Police Officer and FBI Special Agent who now works as an investigator with Northrop Grumman. A collector of Japanese military uniforms and equipment for over 30 years. Author of several books on Japanese uniforms, equipment and I-400.
	Bruce Petty Bruce Petty and his wife recently returned to California after living on the island of Saipan for five years. He is the author of Saipan: Oral Histories of The Pacific War and Bluejackets Remember.
	Robert Piper Bob Piper is a researcher and author of many articles and books on World War II Pacific topics. Also, he has been involved with aircraft crash sites and memorials. He also writes for newspapers and Flightpath magazine.
	Gregory Pons Aviation author and researcher, author of USMC Aviators book detailing uniforms, equipment and gear.
	Geoffrey W. Roecker Roecker uses historical records to study U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) losses and Missing In Action (MIA) cases. He is the author of the book Leaving Mac Behind: The Lost Marines of Guadalcanal and the creator of the website MissingMarines.com
	Edward Rogers Nautical archaeologist and military historian. He studied archaeology at Georgia Southern University, and Texas A&M University. Author and collaborator on many World War II books and unit histories.
	Luca Ruffato Maybe someone will wonder how an Italian can be interested in matters so far away from his living place. I cannot give a satisfactory answer because these interests just happened. As a little boy I drew aircraft with the Red Ball insignia!
	Henry Sakaida One of the few English language authors writing exclusively on Japanese pilots and their wartime experiences. The author of Imperial Japanese Navy Aces and Japanese Army Air Force Aces and The Siege of Rabaul, His books have opened a window to previously unknown side of the war.
	Gene Eric Salecker Salecker has always been fascinated with the B-17 "Flying Fortress", and has just published a book on Pacific B-17's, Fortress Against the Sun. Learn about his background, research process and what fascinates him about this famous bomber, and his forthcoming work.
	John Stanaway John Stanaway is the author of many Pacific related WWII aviation books, including three titles in the Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces Series on P-38, P-39, P-47 and P-51 Pacific aces. In an interview with Pacific Wreck Database, he shares insights on his books and research.
	Osamu Tagaya Author Osamu Tagaya has deep to history, including his father who was a engineer assigned to the Naval Air Technical Arsenal. Author of many books including Moonlight Interceptor, Aichi 99 Kanbaku 'Val Units, Mitsubishi Type 1 Rikko 'Betty' Units of WWII and co-author for International Historical Research Associates.
	Koji Takaki Co-author of B-29 Hunters and 343 Kokutai Japan's Squadron of Aces, does an interview about his background, interest and process of creating two superb English books. He talks about research, collaborations with Henry Sakaida and project about the world-largest sub I-400.
	Justin Taylan Creator of Pacific Wrecks, Taylan's interest began with his grandfather's service and to document the wreckage that remains to this day. Has visited dozens of battlefields and hundreds of aircraft and shipwrecks.
	Barrett Tillman Author of 40 published titles, many of which are related to WWII Pacific, and the famous tail hook aircraft like the F4F, F4U, Avenger and F6F. Tillman shares insights about his research processes, and current releases and upcoming projects.
	Ron Werneth Researcher and author focusing on Japanese Veteran pilots. He has written for various aviation magazines, and the forthcoming book: Beyond Pearl Harbor: The Untold stories of Japan’s Navy Airmen.
	Andrew Wight Andrew Wight is a underwater explorer and film maker whose background includes agricultural science and has worked in scientific research. Creator of Winged Ghosts of the South Pacific.

Interviews & Oral Histories