Memorial service for Doncaster Munich Air Disaster victim David Pegg offered to Manchester United museum

Maurice Gilliatt, who was a schoolboy at the time of the disaster in 1958 when eight of the so-called Busby Babes lost their lives when their plane crashed on a snow covered German airport runway.

He was selected to represent his school at the service at Doncaster Minster – and has kept the order of service for more than six decades.

Now, just days after the 65th anniversary of the tragedy, he has contacted the Premier League giants to ask if they would like to display the memorial service in the club’s museum.

Pegg, who hailed from Highfields, was just 22 when he lost his life on February 6, 1958.

Mr Gilliatt said: “As a young schoolboy at the time of the Munich Air Disaster and who captained the school football team, I was selected to represent my school at the service.”

In an email to Manchester United he wrote: “I have kept the order of service and wondered if you would care to have it to exhibit in the museum.

"I also have quite a few newspaper cutting of the Munich disaster which I have in a scrapbook which you are also welcome to.”

The order of service, which is still in remarkably good condition, shows the memorial ceremony was held exactly one week on from the crash on February 13, 1958.

The service included hymns such as The King of Love My Shepherd Is and Soldiers of Christ Arise, as well as readings from representatives of Doncaster Rovers and Doncaster and District Schools FA.

Mr Gilliatt also has a link to former Doncaster Rovers goalkeeper Harry Gregg, who was one of the heroes of the tragedy.

Gregg, who had joined the Red Devils just a few months earlier, pulled team-mates from the burning plane including Bobby Charlton, Jackie Blanchflower and Dennis Viollet - as well as a pregnant woman.

He said: “My wife and I also have a faint affinity to Harry Gregg with him marrying a young lady that lived several doors down the same street where my wife lived, Maureen Markham.

"At the time Harry played for Doncaster Rovers - he lodged with a lady who lived across the road called Mrs Churchill.”

The Munich Air Disaster unfolded as Manchester United, one of the world’s most famous clubs, returned from an overseas fixture.

As well as eight players, the tragedy also claimed the lives of three United backroom staff as well as eight sports journalists who had been covering the club’s European Cup tie against Red Star Belgrade and in total, 23 people lost their lives in the terrible disaster which stunned the world.

Former Doncaster Free Press news editor Peter Whittell, a family friend and then a 16-year-old junior reporter, who sadly died in 2019, broke the news as scant details filtered through.

His colleague Michael Parkinson, who of course went onto TV fame, was tasked with reporting the funeral.

David had signed for United on leaving school in 1950 and made his first team debut in the Football League First Division against Middlesbrough on 6 December 1952, aged 17.

He was the club’s first-choice outside left and collected two League Championship winner’s medals in the two seasons leading up to the disaster, helping them reach the European Cup semi-finals twice and grabbing 24 goals in 127 games.

He was capped once for England, his solitary appearance coming in 1957, and was tipped by many to succeed Tom Finney in the team.

He is buried at Redhouse Cemetery, with United fans still paying tribute to him with flowers more than sixty five years on from the tragedy.