The Search
for Lt. Estill
This website documents the excavation and recovery of the World War II crash site of my father’s P-38 Lightning. 1Lt Shannon E. Estill was shot down in the former East Germany only weeks before the end of the war on Friday April 13, 1945. He was the last man killed from the 428th Fighter Squadron, the 474th Fighter Group of the 9th Air Force. This is the true measure of my devotion.
Phantom Father:
A Daughter's Quest for Elegy,
Second Edition (2021)
Book Available now at the following vendors:
In her second book, Dr. Sharon Estill Taylor weaves the story of her decades long-search for and recovery of her fighter pilot father’s lost WWII crash site.
In Phantom Father: A Daughter’s Quest for Elegy, Dr. Sharon Estill Taylor courageously shares her quest to find and recover her fighter pilot father’s crash site left behind at the end of WWII. Dr. Taylor transits the search with the help of her father’s squadron mates, a brilliant German air historian, the US government, and Spiegel TV. She calls upon every known and unknown resource to discover her father’s fate when he was the last man killed from his squadron on Friday April 13, 1945. With honesty, suspense, and candor, Taylor writes about her journey from the impossible to the possible, from the unknown to discovery and resolution, in this highly readable story.
Phantom Father: A Daughter’s Quest for Elegy, Second Edition (2021) is available from:
Spiegel TV Documentary Film
The Last Flight of Lieutenant Estill
To watch the entire documentary, email Dr. Taylor via the contact page.
Film Trailer
Read about the documentary's US premiere
Read Sharon Taylor's intro to the film
CSpan link to Dr. Taylor’s talk at the WWII Museum, November 2016
Author Sharon Taylor
(Painting by James B. Hartel)
Dr. Sharon Estill Taylor is the author of two books: Phantom Father: A Daughter’s Quest for Elegy, Second Edition (2021) and Phantom Son: A Mother’s Story of Surrender. As a member of The National WWII Museum Board of Trustees she continues her mission to memorialize WWII and those who served. Inspired by her father, 1Lt Shannon Estill, her quest for discovery and illumination continues.