Mother remembers son lost in 1985 RAF bus crash

A woman has paid tribute to her "sweet" and "gentle" teenage son who died 40 years ago in an RAF bus crash in Germany.

Junior technician Simon Goodge, 18, from Harlington, Bedfordshire, was part of The Band of the Royal Air Force Germany, which on 11 February 1985 was travelling from RAF Rheindahlen to a performance in Bavaria.

While driving through Langenbruck the bus collided with an aviation tanker, which caused the death of an RAF policeman, the coach driver and 19 RAF musicians including Mr Goodge.

His mother, Betty Goodge, recalled the disaster took place the day before his father Alec Goodge's 50th birthday.

A friend heard about the crash on the radio and phoned Mrs Goodge to tell her a bus had crashed on the autobahn - a German highway.

She said: "I knew straight away... But I wasn't aware of the tragedy that unfolded."

Neighbours in the village helped Mrs Goodge track down and reach her husband, who was at a restaurant in London.

Later that night two RAF officers arrived at the family home and confirmed her son had been killed in the accident.

As a child Simon, who played the saxophone and clarinet, was encouraged to pursue music by his parents.

The family did not own a car so Mr Goodge would ferry his son and all the instruments to different events on the back of his motorbike.

She recalled: "His love of music, that was all he wanted to do."

The Harlington Upper School student was encouraged by his parents to audition for the RAF band when he was 17, he was successful and then found himself based at RAF Uxbridge, London, before being transferred to RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

On weekends he would come home and joyfully share stories with his friends and family about his experiences in the band.

Eventually a squadron leader invited the teenager to join the RAF band based in Germany.

Mrs Goodge said: "It was quite prestigious to do that because you'd be going over Europe and playing at different venues."

The last time she heard from her son was when he phoned from Germany to tell her about a show he was playing that weekend at RAF Winter Survival School.

She recalled: "He was getting quite excited, it was going to be a good gig as he called it. They would have a few beers and he would have a lovely lovely time."

"He had so many plans because he was having driving lessons... He had lots of plans, Well, you do at 18 don't you?"

Mrs Goodge, who has lived in Harlington for more than 60 years, said the tragedy was well remembered in the village.

She explained: "When you hear these things on the television you never think you'll know anyone involved, especially in your own village, you don't expected that.

"The next day the village was so, so, so quiet. We weren't able to take it in because he was quite well known with the music at the upper school. He was a sweet gentle soul. He was a really lovely boy.

"As people that have lost children know, it is the worst thing that can happen."

Memorial services for the band take place every year and on Tuesday Mrs Goodge will attend a service at RAF Northolt.

Her son is buried in a military cemetery in Germany next to his friend junior technician Philip Smith.

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