Soldier's long-distance proposal

Soldier's long-distance proposal

Caroline Nesbitt and Adam Holmes (Photo: Shields Gazette)

A Tyneside soldier, who proposed to his long-standing girlfriend from the front line of the Iraq war, has received the reply he was hoping for.

Caroline Nesbitt, 27, used a satellite link to tell her childhood sweetheart, Corporal Adam Holmes, that she would marry him.

The 29-year-old soldier with the Royal Pioneer Corps' 187 (Tancred) Company, initially proposed via a letter to his local paper on South Tyneside.

But before his girlfriend could reply, his unit was pushed into the frontline conflict against Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces.

During the satellite link-up on GMTV on Friday, Corporal Holmes told her: "I know I've been seeing you for a long time now.

"Here's a question for you. Will you marry me, because I love you from the bottom of my heart?"

Miss Nesbitt, who had the couple's seven-year-old son Adam junior at her side, said she was "shocked and surprised" after having known him for 14 years, but said she was delighted to accept.

I just want to get home and get into a normal routine and going for a beer

Corporal Adam Holmes

She said the wedding would take place in July 2005 "because we are having a holiday next year so we need to save up. We'll discuss it when he comes home".

Adam junior told his father he had been looking for him on television, but could not see him.

He asked: "When are you coming home?"

His father replied: "I don't know, son, it won't be long.

"I've been out here for two months now - two months is a long time.

"I just want to get home and get into a normal routine - shopping and going for a beer.

'A bit cheeky'

"All the lads are missing all their girlfriends and wives."

Corporal Holmes has known Miss Nesbitt, of Hebburn, South Tyneside, since they were at school together.

Before leaving Kuwait for Iraq, the 29-year-old wrote: "What I'm going to ask may seem a bit cheeky, but I'm going to ask anyway.

"Caroline - your fiancé Adam Holmes loves you and our son, Adam junior.

"I'll be home soon, will you marry me?"

But Miss Nesbitt had no way of contacting Corporal Holmes to give him her answer until the Ministry of Defence stepped in to track him down in Iraq.