Manchester United 1958-Part 2 of 3

Manchester United 1958 part 2 of 3 by Robert (Bob) Moore © 2015 the wing tore off when it hit the house, the tail was hanging free the fuselage hit a wooden hut, and the cockpit hit a tree, the house caught fire, and people ran, but Murphy’s Law the rule inside the hut the plane had hit, a truck full of tyres and fuel the truck exploded, in a sheet of flame, and added more confusion Thain saw the flames around the plane, and he had no illusion he was sure it would explode, and told his crew to run then saw flames below the wing and knew what needed to be done the co-pilot, trapped in his seat, said to leave him there Thain said he would come back for him, when he had time to spare then grabbed 2 hand held extinguishers to help him fight the fire he knew the wing was full of fuel, the outcome would be dire That day saw many heroes, who were ordinary men Harry Gregg the Goalie was just one of them The Captain had decided to make the run again but many were poor flyers, and were talked aboard the plane As we started down the runway, I began to feel real scared and I realised how quiet it was the lads just sat and stared as I looked out the window, a house and tree went by then everything just went real black, and sparks began to fly The plane went on its side, sort of upside down There was only silence, and blackness all around then for a second daylight, I thought that I was dead and I just sat there quietly, strange thoughts in my head I thought “I’ve had a great life, and a lovely family too if this should be the end of it they’ll know just what to do It was then I realised, that I was still alive I unclipped my seat belt, and kicked my way outside The first I saw was Captain Thain, extinguisher in hand five others running toward us, to help us if they can “it’s going to blow, you’d better run”, he yelled with all his might and so we turned to run away, towards the airport light As I turned I heard a sound, a child was crying near I yelled, there’s a kid alive inside, but they didn’t hear I went back into the plane, I was terrified afraid of just what I might find, in the smashed and wrecked inside I found the little baby, and started to carry her out the radio man was running by, so I gave him a shout take the baby off to safety, and I’ll go back inside to try and find her mother, if she is still alive she was in a bad condition, but I did what I could do I kicked a hole in the fuselage, and then I pushed her through then I found Albert Scanlon, but he seemed badly hurt, trapped by his feet, he would not move, though I tugged on his shirt Peter Howard of the Daily Mail, was in the other seat I’ll stay and keep him company, I’m sure that we’ll be sweet some rescuers will be here soon, just you wait and see and I know, it won’t be long before they set us free I then found Dennis Violet and Bobby Charlton too, lying very still, I wasn’t sure what I should do I really thought that they were dead, and dragged their bodies out I was looking for Jackie Blanchflower, and his name I began to shout as I searched for Jackie, I saw the tail end of the plane I watched in disbelief it was ablaze with sheets of flame the thoughts were of the lads who moved there, just before the run Frank Swift and Duncan Edwards, Dudleys favourite son, they thought it would be safer, just a feeling in their bones and with them Tommy Taylor, Eddie Coleman and Mark Jones it was then I saw Matt Busby, he held his chest in pain “my legs, my legs” he cried out, and could not move again Continued: in part three