A poignant collection of memorabilia belonging to Manchester United legend Duncan Edwards is going under the auctioneer's hammer.
And the rare sale has revealed the tragic plight of his fiancée following his death in the Munich air disaster.
It follows the marking at Old Trafford and across the world of the 64th anniversary of the tragedy.
Edwards - a Busby Babe who was widely tipped to one day captain England - was considered to be among the finest players of his generation.
He died in hospital 15 days after the tragedy aged just 21.
Twenty three people died when a plane carrying Sir Matt Busby's famous United side crashed on its third attempt to take off from the Munich-Riem airport runway in poor conditions on February 6, 1958.
The players, supporters and sports reporters were returning from a European Cup game in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, when the plane stopped in Munich to refuel.
Edwards was pulled from the wreckage but succumbed to kidney injuries sustained in the crash.
Eight first team players in total lost their lives - Edwards and Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Liam Whelan.
More than 40 items including photographs and letters belonging Edwards are due to be auctioned by the family of his fiancée, Molly Leech.
Aged only 22, she rushed to Germany to be at his bedside in hospital. After his death, she was forced to return home with only his belongings.
Molly, who died in 2004 aged 68, never parted with the items but now her daughters have decided to sell them in Northamptonshire-based auction house Graham Budd's sports memorabilia sale.
Among the collection are letters from well wishers, photographs, his overnight bag and football programmes.
Also included is Edwards' family album with photos chronicling his Manchester United and England football career - portraits, match shots, moments with his teammates and some from his national service.
There are two letters from Edwards to Molly during his national service, where he refers to her as 'Dear Molly' and 'Dear Pet'.
And a letter Sir Bobby Charlton, who survived the crash, wrote to her after Munich is also featured.
In it, he says he got home safely but hasn't heard anything about Duncan.
"You know how much I want him up and about," he says, before signing off with: "Keep your chin up, Bobby xx."
Molly’s daughters, who want to remain anonymous, said: "Our mother, Molly, first met Duncan one Saturday evening at Ringway Airport, which is now Manchester Airport.
"In the 1950s, many people would go to the airport to watch the planes. She came from Manchester and worked in an office there, they were very much in love but very private and ordinary people.
"They enjoyed playing cards and tennis, he liked fishing – she always spoke about him with great affection."
They continued: "I just can’t imagine what my mother must have gone through when she had to go to Munich, it was such a sad and awful part of her life – she was just 22.
"She died in 2004, at the age of 68, our father died three years ago, and although we did keep in touch with, and visited Mrs Edwards, Duncan's mother, we are one step removed from the story and we would like his legacy to continue."
Auctioneer Graham Budd said: "The story of Duncan Edwards and Molly Leech is so poignant and sad, they had everything going for them – they were an elegant, smartly dressed, photogenic young couple.
"He was born in Dudley in the West Midlands but signed for Manchester United when he was 16, despite a brief interlude when he did National Service with his team mate Bobby Charlton, he had a magnificent career and many say that he would have been the captain of the 1966 World Cup England squad.
"The items in this sale are so personal and it is a privilege to have been asked by Molly’s daughters to sell them."
The sale will be held online on March 8 and 9.
