Mark
Jones (15th June 1933 to 6th February 1958)
Mark Jones died instantly due to slush on an airport runway.
He was one of the “Busby Babes” Manchester United football team, a 6 feet 1
inch high, pipe-smoking centre-half who died instantly when the aeroplane crashed
when attempting to take off in terrible conditions.
The plane crash known as the Munich air disaster occurred on
6th February 1958 at Munich-Riem Airport, West
Germany. British European Airways flight 609 tried to take off on its third
attempt. Aboard were 44 people, the Manchester United football team known as
the "Busby Babes", supporters and journalists. Twenty people died
immediately and another three died having been taken to Rechts
der Isar Hospital in Munich.
The football
team had played a game in Belgrade (now Serbia). On the way home the flight
stopped to refuel in Munich. Two attempts were made to take off. The Captain
was worried they would get behind schedule if they didn’t want to stay the
night in Germany. By the time they tried a third take off snow was falling and
slush had formed at the end of the runway. The plane hit a house and the left
wing was torn off. The Captain thought the fuel may catch light and started
evacuating passengers. An investigated concluded that slush on the runway
prevented the plane gathering enough speed.
Though Mark
died at just after 3pm one afternoon on a runway in Germany he’s buried here in
a pretty graveyard in Wombwell Barnsley. He was born in
this town only twenty-four years earlier. He was the third of seven children
and an adroit footballer at school. He was so effective he never had to find a
job to get by until the dream started: Manchester United took him on as an
apprentice when he left school. He made two appearances aged just 17 and was
one of the regular players by the time of Manchester United's glory years of
1955 to 1956. He played 120 first team games for The Red Devils. He would
probably have played for England had he not died in the Munich.
What a waste
of a life, snuffed out at twenty four. He left behind a pregnant wife and a
son. His daughter was born four months after his death. Though his wife June
later remarried she was buried here with her first husband.
It was an
attractive grave, framed by white marble and the size of the marble football
seemed perfect. I assume it’s kept pretty by his two children. On the way back
to the car I passed a squirrel. I threw it some of my Mars Bar and it stood on
a rock nibbling it (see photo.)
