A PACKED churchyard fell silent on Saturday morning as dozens of people gathered to remember a Gwent hero.

The service at St Michael and All Angels Church, Llantarnam, Cwmbran, was held to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the battle of Rorke's Drift.

Local dignitaries and members of the Royal Regiment of Wales and Pontypool Regimental Association gathered around the grave of Abergavenny-born John Fielding, who as Private John Williams won the Victoria Cross during the conflict in 1879.

Great-grandson Peter Fielding, 46, travelled from Cambridge to attend the service, and three generations of Mr Fielding's family now living in Newport, his great-granddaughter Monica Foster, 58, with her daughter Judith Evans, 33 and granddaughter Stacey Evans, 12, were also present.

Mr Fielding said: "It's tremendously important to be here today. This is not glorifying the man, but more about remembering others who gave their lives."

Father Gareth Evans, who led the service said: "Courage and valour can often spring from desperate and ignominious situations. Such was the case at Rorke's Drift."

Two other Gwent soldiers also won renown at the remote Natal outpost - Private Henry Hook, of the Royal Monmouth Militia and Clytha-born Private Robert Jones.

* After the service a Cwmbran family held their own small commemoration in a quiet corner of the churchyard. Wreaths were laid at the grave of Penry Morgan, the first soldier from Cwmbran to die in the First World War.

His daughter Doreen Meredith, 89, was there to remember him.