PERCHED on mummy's lap, nine-month-old David listens intently as his father reads popular children's story Guess How Much I Love You into a microphone.
Aged just nine months, he might not understand much of what's being said but he recognises daddy's voice and the mutual love is clear for all to see.
Every night, Josh Robinson-Shaw reads little David a story before putting him to bed, but that routine is set to change.
In just under two months, the 19-year-old guardsman will fly to Lashkar Gar, in Afghanistan, with the First Battalion, the Welsh Guards, currently based at Hounslow Barracks.
Although he will be able to call home during the six-month tour of duty, operational pressures mean he may go for days or even weeks at a time without speaking to David or his 18-year-old wife Sophie.
This is where Storybook Soldiers comes in. Soldiers are invited to record a bedtime story, to which trained volunteers add music and sound effects.
The recordings means children and loved ones can listen to their parents' voices even as they are locked in combat thousands of miles away.
Josh, for whom this will be the first tour of duty since joining the Welsh Guards three years ago, hopes the recording will make life easier for Sophie and David while he is in Afghanistan.
"When you're out there you just throw yourself into it and concentrate on the job in hand. It's a way of life for us," he says.
"It's the wives who probably suffer the most and it's important to know they're being looked after and have things like this to help them.
"For me, it's hard wondering whether he's going to recognise me when I come home so I'm glad he'll be able to listen to this CD."
For Sophie, as well as the chance to hear Josh's voice during his long absence, the recording will help maintain her daily routine with David.
"This means a lot to me. I won't always be able to speak to Josh, so it will be nice to play the CD and listen to his voice," she says.
"It makes it easier to maintain the night-time routine of bath, story, bed. Josh is the one who puts David to bed so it could be a struggle without him.
Storybook Soldiers, which is run by volunteers based in Tidworth, is based on a similar scheme set up to support the families of prisoners.
Staff at Beavers Library - in Salisbury Road, a stone's throw from the barracks - provided the books for soldiers to read before flying out.
About two thirds of the 350-strong battalion are married and many have children. Once in Afghanistan, they will still be able to record stories to send back to their families.
Sue Bazan, of the Army Welfare Service, said: "Voice recognition is important because for a baby six months is a long time. These CDs provide an important connection between parent and child, who will recognise the voice as soon as mummy or daddy comes back.
"As long as the soldiers know their families are being supported and cared for back home, they're a lot more comfortable and focused during deployment."
While this will be Josh's first tour of duty, Sergeant Phil Taylor knows only too well how hard it can be living so far from your loved ones.
The father-of-four, who has served in Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq during his 18 years with the Welsh Guards, describes the scheme as a 'great idea'.
"When I came back before, Chelsea (one of four daughters) didn't know who I was. It's nice for soldiers to know their families can hear their voice whenever they want," he says.
