Casey Louise was born two weeks after her father left for the Gulf

Trooper Neil Williams, 19, from Caernarfon, left to serve with the Queen's Dragoon Guard in the Gulf three months ago where he saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

Two weeks after his pregnant wife, Claire, waved goodbye to him at the army base in Catterick, she gave birth to their daughter, Casey Louise, in Ysbyty Gwynedd.

Neil has now returned with other members of the Dragoon Guards, also known as the Welsh Cavalry, to Catterick.

He admitted he had been counting the days until he could come home to see his baby daughter.

"I felt gutted when I was told I had to go, but it was my job and I had to go," he said.

"My wife had both parents to help her out.

When I brought her down for him to see, he had a lump in his throat. Claire Williams

"I phoned one morning and my father-in-law said that she had gone into labour.

"I called the hospital that night and they told me she'd had my baby daughter.

"Then it was a case of just waiting for the day I would be able to come home to see them."

Claire kept him going with letter and photos of Casey, who is now 11 weeks old, throughout his time.

She says that parting with her husband at the camp was very difficult.

She said: "I was due in two weeks when Neil left, so I was huge and very emotional.

"It was awful watching him go - I was crying.

"But I was overjoyed when he came home.

Casey and her parents are moving to Germany

"Casey was upstairs asleep. When I brought her down for him to see, he had a lump in his throat."

The couple, both from Caernarfon, are currently based in the camp in Catterick but will be moving to Germany in July.

Neil will first complete his training in Northern Ireland, which is due to start soon.

During his time in the Gulf, his main responsibility was to get rations and water to the front line.

Speaking of his time there, he said: "It was very hot and you couldn't work in it much, but it was very interesting."

However, he says he is adamant his daughter will not be following in his footsteps.