WATCH: Surprise! Stafford soldier shocks his children with Father's Day homecoming
Two children got the shock of their lives when their dad unexpectedly returned home from serving in the Army just in time for Father’s Day.
Flynn and Imelda Davies-Phillips, from Stafford, did not know when they would see their father Michael again after his tour in the Falklands was extended last year.
But Michael, who serves in in the Seven Regiment Royal Logistics Corps, had a special surprise up his sleeve as he turned up on the doorstep unannounced, disguised as a delivery driver.
WATCH the moment Michael stunned his children:
Flynn, 10, and Imelda, six, had been expecting a delivery of food to come to the door – but received something much better than fish and chips.
Michael, aged 28, said: “I went out to the Falklands in November, expecting to be home in May.
“My tour then got extended and I had no idea when I would be back. It was really hard as it’s the longest I’ve ever been away from the kids and my wife, Abigail.
"They were really upset when I told them I wasn’t going to be home as originally planned.”
Having only been in the Army for three years, it was the longest Michael had been away from his family, with previous tours only lasting six weeks.
And when he turned up on the doorstep dressed as a delivery driver, the kids couldn’t contain their excitement.
“At first they didn’t realise it was me because all they saw was the Deliveroo jacket,” he said.
“But when they finally recognised me it was the best surprise. We were all so emotional, and there were definitely a few tears shed.”
He said: “They both came to the door together, and when they saw it was me they burst into tears.
"There was lots of hugs and kisses, and they were over the moon that I was back. And we even got to eat the fish and chips in the end too.”
Seeing how tough the children were finding it without their father, Abigail, 33, got involved with a charity called Little Troopers who helped bring the family back together.
She and her husband cooked up the surprise in conjunction with the charity.
Since his return, Michael has been spending some much-needed quality time with his family.
He said: “I’ve got the whole summer with them now, and we’re planning to spend as much time together as we can.
"Abigail and I got married last year and we put off the honeymoon until I knew when I'd be home. We're going to do a tour of the US with Flynn and Imelda, and we can't wait."
