'Too risky for young lives to be wasted'
ABC Net News
31st January 2005 22.00hrs GMT
The mother of Flt Lt Paul Pardoel, the Australian airman killed in Iraq while serving with British forces, said today she always feared for his safety.

Mrs Margaret Pardoel, of Boronia, Victoria, said she expected the worst when she heard news reports of the crash of a Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft yesterday morning.

"I had a terrible sinking feeling because I knew he was going away. He was home for Christmas on leave and I knew he was going back," she told ABC radio. "With the elections, they were transporting more troops.

Ten minutes later, the phone went and it was Kelly's father in Canberra and she said they have bad news. His Herc has gone down and there are no survivors as they know of."

Mrs Pardoel said Paul planned to finish up his contract with the RAF in July and he, his wife Kelly and their three children planned to settle back in Canberra. She said he planned to start a new career.

"He wanted to see the children more and the job was getting far too risky," she said. Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel, 35, who was born in Colac, was married with three young children. He was the navigator aboard an RAF Hercules that crashed 25 miles north of Baghdad.

He recalled in a previous conversation with his mother about the nature of his job: `"Mum, it's very risky in Baghdad, there is nowhere to hide and it is very, very dangerous.' He was worried about Kelly and the three children."

Flt Lt Paul Pardoel and his wife Kelly pictured right