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Stories
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PO’s
Princess waited
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Nothing
corny about love on the high seas. Petty Officer Steve Jones
and Cathy Crawley reunited on Melbourne’s return.
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The
smiles say it all. ABSN Ellem with his wife after returning
home from the Persian Gulf in HMAS Melbourne.
Photos by ABPH Yuri Ramsey.
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Petty
Officer Steve Jones from HMAS Melbourne (CAPT Steve McDowall) certainly
knows how to propose marriage in a public and very large way.
Once alongside after more than five months in The Gulf, Steve, 28
from Vaucluse, dropped a bedsheet banner down the side of his ship.
It read “Cathy My Beautiful Princess. Marry Me. Love S.J.”
Below was actor Cathy Crawley, 31 from Castle Hill. She exclaimed
to those around her, “I’m speechless.”
Then facing Melbourne she shouted to Steve, “I love you. Yes.
I’ll marry you.”
Minutes later they were in each other’s arms kissing and hugging
and from Steve’s pocket came an engagement ring, which was
soon flashing on Cathy’s hand.
Cathy explained their relationship to Navy News.
“Two and a half years ago I was here on the wharf seeing off
a friend who was going on Melbourne to East Timor. I turned around
and saw Steve. It was almost like ‘love at first sight’
and I thought to myself then, I’ve got to have this man”.
“We talked for about 30 seconds and then he was gone ... on
board the ship.”
(Melbourne was one of the guardships in the first days of the East
Timor operation).
“Steve and I began communicating by email though it was not
until a year ago we started going together. It was May since I saw
him,” she said.
Commanding Officer of the 4,100 tonne FFG, CAPT McDowall played
a small “cupid” role in Steve’s proposal. “I
had a request from Steve to unfurl the banner,” the CO said.
“I gave him permission as long as it was after the ship was
secured alongside and the ship’s company dismissed,” he
said.
Friends of Cathy’s were also in “the know” about
the proposal plan and the probability the young woman would say
“yes” because one of them secreted an embroidered “yes”
banner on to the wharf for Cathy to hold when the time, and decision,
were right.
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