All two-year-old Violet Davis knows about her father's Christmas is he is spending it in ‘Afganglyland’.

Tomorrow, Senior Aircraftman Shaun Davis, 26, will be 3,500 miles from home in Helmand Province.

He is one of 183 RAF Benson personnel away from home this Christmas — most of them in the heart of the bloodiest warzone faced by British troops in decades.

The Davis family celebrated Christmas three weeks ago during Shaun’s six days of leave.

Wife Maria Davis, 28, said: “He’s been away before, but never over Christmas.

“We had to have a celebration when he was back, so I did a full Christmas dinner with crackers and everything. We had Christmas songs. We got to put up the decorations together.

“Violet knows what Christmas is this year for the first time. Last year she just played with the wrapping paper.

“She knew it was Christmas for daddy, and daddy was back for a little holiday.

“Now she knows he’s gone back and he is far, far away in ‘Afganglyland’.”

On Christmas Day, mother and daughter are heading to Swindon to stay with Mrs Davis’s parents.

She said: “They are really good with Violet and they will really spoil us, but it will be strange without Shaun.”

RAF wife Errin Nelson, 30, is home alone with Owen, ten, and Mackenzie, four, after husband David was sent to Kenya just three weeks before Christmas.

She said: “Christmas had all been planned. We’ve had to downsize the turkey and get someone to pick it up for us because I don’t drive.

“I’ll try to make it Christmas for the boys and try to get through it as quick as possible.

“David was all excited about what Santa would get for the boys, but now we have to wait until January before we see him again.”

RAF Benson’s Chief of Staff, Wing Commander Rob Norris, said: “We would urge everyone to spare a thought for our personnel and those of the other services who will be away from home.”

Mum Lavenia Tava, 34, had known for two weeks that husband Vilimoni might get a few days leave from Afghanistan to make it back to Benson for Christmas, but had not dared to tell children John, 13, Jacob, 12, and Abegail, seven.

So when the children finished school on Friday, the last person they expected to see was their dad.

Senior Aircraftman Tava, 37, said: “I drove very close to Abegail and pulled in behind her. When I stopped by her, she took a step back.I wound down the window and said: ‘Do you fancy a ride, girl?’”

Abegail said: “I was just hugging him. I carried on hugging him and started to cry.”

Jacob said: “Christmas will be much better now he is back.”