THE hymns echoed the marching step of the valiant soldier, as in a Gwent churchyard a headstone was raised to mark the final resting place of an old warrior.

For 60 years the wind and weather had slowly reduced the mound under which lay the body of John Musselwhite, of Abertillery, who joined the ranks of the South Wales Borderers to fight in the Boer War of 1899-1902 and later in the Great War of 1914-18.

Onward, Christian Soldiers and Who is on the Lord's Side? were sung as the stone was dedicated at a special service at St Paul's Church, Cwmtillery.

The old soldier's grave might have remained unmarked were it not for a story appearing in the South Wales Argus a year ago about a group of Gwent men who had gone to fight the Boers in South Africa.

A cutting found its way into the hands of John Musselwhite's grandson, who carries the same name and who now lives in Aberdeen.

"When I saw the Argus piece I decided that the very next time I visited relatives in Gwent I would find my grandfather's grave," Mr Musselwhite, 71, said.

"When I found it and saw that there was no headstone I felt I had to put matters right.

"My grandfather came from Wiltshire originally and, like most English countryfolk of the time, was loyalist and Royalist.

"When the call went out for volunteers to fight in the Boer War he answered.

"He was shipped out to Cape Town in February 1901 with H Company of the South Wales Borderers largely drawn from the Abertillery area. "Having survived the Boer War he probably thought that he could look forward to a life uninterrupted by military activity but this was not to be the case."

Although past the age for compulsory military duty, Mr Musselwhite's grandfather joined the Royal Engineers during the First World War and saw service in France. Mr Musselwhite added: "He was a very modest man who saw such military service as a duty to King, Queen and country."

For his service in the Boer War Private Musselwhite was awarded the Queen's South African Medal. Decorations for service in the First World War included the War Medal and the Victory Medal.

After returning to Abertillery in 1918 he worked as a miner and died in 1946 aged 70. He is buried alongside his wife Ellen, who died in 1957, and his daughter Dorothy, who died in 1986.

The service was organised by the Rev Peter King and church member Bill Thay.

As he prepared to return to Aberdeen Mr Musselwhite said: "It was an emotional occasion with the standards of veterans' organisation on parade, and the Reveille and Last Post sounded over my grandfather's grave. I feel that a debt has in part been repaid."