WITH a brisk wind catching the regimental standards and a winter sun glinting on their polished brass points, a son of Gwent was remembered 129 years after the valour and defiance for which he was awarded Britain's highest military honour.

This year there was an added dimension the annual ceremony honouring Private John Fielding VC who served as Private John Williams of the 24th of Foot and one of the heroes of Rorke's Drift.

In the presence of 60 Gwent veterans and Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen and newly-appointed Welsh secretary and local dignitaries a memorial for Fielding was unveiled only two hundreds yards from his refurbished grave.

The Reverend Anthony Turner, vicar of Llantarnam said "We commend John Fielding's bravery as we do others who lay down their lives in the service of others.

'We particularly remember our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere as we pray for the firemen, police, members of the ambulance service, the lifeboats and mountain rescue and all who risk their lives for others."

John Fielding was born at Merthyr Road, Abergavenny in 1857 changing his name after running away from home to join the regular army.

On January 22, 1879 at the remote mission post at Rorke's Drift he was part of a small force detailed to defend the station against oncoming Zulus.

When he and his comrade Private Hook ran out of ammunition they held off the attackers at bayonet-point allowing eight patients in the mission hospital to retreat to safety.

The exortation was read by Mr William Edwards, treasurer of Cwmbran and District ex-Servicemen's Associaton and who served in the RAF in North Africa during the last war.

Wreaths were laid by Messrs Jack O'Connor and Brian Mahoney.

After the annual service at St Michael and All the Angels the parade formed up behind the standards of the comrades' assocation of the South Wales Borderers (24th of Foot) Pontypool branch, the Cwmbran and District Ex-Servicemen's Association and the Newport branch of the Royal Engineer's Association for the short march to where the memorial waited under its shroud of scarlet velvet.

As he drew away the covering Councillor Bill King, mayor of Torfaen, said "We are here to commemorate service which went far beyond that which might normally be expected.

"His bravery saved eight others.

"It is a clear message to us all that we should be working for others."

The 10 Victoria Crosses won by the 24th at Rorke's Drift remain the highest number ever earned in one engagement.

John Fielding lived in Llantarnam Road, Cwmbran and afterwards with his married daughter in Cocker Avenue.

He died in November 1932 aged 75.

On the day of his funeral in November, 1932 the cortege was half-a-mile long, its progress filmed by Pathe News and distributed to cinemas nationwide.

The memorial sculpted by Teucer Wilson is of a Hirlas horn - y Corn Hirlas - used by the ancient Welsh both for feasting and as a warning of the approach of enemies.