A group of 18 members of the Bury St Edmunds Rugby Union Football Club who perished in a plane crash 50 years ago are being remembered by their surviving loved ones. The club members were among 346 people on a Turkish Airlines plane that crashed in Ermonville, near Paris, on March 3, 1974. The rugby players, officials and supporters had been in Paris to watch a France-England match.
Survivors’ family members are commemorating their loved ones with a charity bike ride, cycling from France to England, that will conclude at Bury St Edmunds. As many as 60 people have participated. The challenge covers 390 miles and takes six days.
One of the organisers of the event, Austin Cornish, whose father Laurie passed away in the tragedy, said he believed it is of the utmost importance that the memories of those who lost their lives are honoured. Mr. Cornish was only three when his father died. He revealed that his father had only acquired his ticket ten days before the catastrophe after someone offered it up.
Chris Tilbrook, father of Heidi Tilbrook, the first team captain, was injured but planned to go to France. However, when his wife begged him to rethink his trip, he sold his ticket. The younger Tilbrook revealed that her father “actually saw his own death certificate.”
According to Tilbrook, Mr. Cornish’s father – Laurie – had distinctly felt that the locals’ spirit had encouraged him to visit France. Chris Tilbrook’s brother was one of the people who died in the crash, and ultimately, his family members’ demise compelled him to devise ways to ensure the safety of others.
The ride aims to raise funds for two worthy causes: Bury Rugby Club’s all-weather pitch and St. Nicholas Hospice Care
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