Author & Historian
It is with great sadness that we let everyone know our dear friend, John, passed away on December 18, 2019. John was our long-time historian and a great supporter of the Association and its mission. I’ve decided to leave this page active in case anyone would like to delve into some of John’s work and his lifelong love for the P-38.
John Stanaway is the most prolific author on the subject of the P‑38 Lightning that we know. He knows his stuff, and he’s been good enough to share his knowledge with the rest of us. John isn’t old enough to have had an opportunity to fly combat in a P‑38, but he knows more about them than most people you’ll meet.
He is a long-time member of the P‑38 Association and is our highly valued Historians. We thank him for all his hard work in documenting so much historical data about this fantastic combat airplane and the men who knew it so well.
One of John’s passions has been to document the feats of the P‑38 aces in the various theaters of operations. So, in his books (some of which are shown in the left and right columns) you’ll notice that a good many of them have to do with “Lightning Aces of…”
You’re going to have a good deal of fun digging into all of John’s excellent, well-documented books.
If you think you’d like to pick up a copy of the book, you can either click on the picture or the title and it’ll take you to the Amazon page for ordering info.
Click here to see all the aviation books that John Stanaway has written (including books on the P-39 Airacobra Aces, and Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces.
P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI
(Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 14)
The P-38 was used on virtually every front to which the USAAF were committed, but enjoyed its greatest successes in the Pacific and China-Burma-India (CBI) theatres. The speed, range and firepower of the P-38 made it the favourite of nearly all aircrew fighting in the Solomons, New Guinea and the Philippines, and over 1800 Japanese aircraft fell to its guns. From the first encounters at the end of 1942 until the Lightning scored the final Fifth Air force victories in August 1945, these pilots made the Pacific skies very much their own battleground.
