Captain Percy Neville Field witnessed first hand a historic event which sparked celebration across the Empire.

He was one of the defenders of Ladysmith, which had endured months of hardship during a bloody siege during the 1899-1902 Boer War.

Field came from a well-known Worthing family which ran a second-hand antiques shop in Warwick Street.

During the war, the small town of Ladysmith was surrounded by enemy troops, who mounted regular attacks on the British garrison.

Field, a dashing, fearless, ambitious character, was badly wounded and was fortunate to survive.

Following a spell of leave in Worthing, he returned to the front and was shot dead during a skirmish on the South African veldt.

His name appears on the well-maintained pink granite obelisk at Steyne Gardens, alongside 25 other men from the town who failed to return home.

There is also a commemorative plaque on the wall of St Paul's Church, Chapel Road, now sadly closed to the public.

When The Argus published an account of Field's life and death, we were contacted by one of his descendants, Doris Lee, of Richmond Road, Worthing.

She was astonished to read about his adventures during the war, adding: "We wouldn't have known anything about him if it wasn't for The Argus."

Field started as a trooper in the Natal Mounted Rifles and rose to become a captain in the Scottish Horse.

During a short but distinguished military career he was mentioned in dispatches three times and made no secret of his bid to win the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest gallantry award.

On April 16, 1900, he wrote to his parents about his brush with death during a fierce firefight with the Boers at Ladysmith.

He wrote: "Battle raged furiously, both shot and shell falling like rain. We drove them back foot by foot. The dreadful sights of the wounded, dead and dying was something piteous to look at.

"Men with arms and legs blown off, others with only half a skull, and many simply blown to pieces by the shell."

Field was shot while carrying dispatches to the front line.

"The bullet entered my right shoulder, passed through the lung, and came out at the middle of my back, within an inch of the spine.

"I fell immediately on my back and lay quiet for a minute or so, then turned on my hands and knees and crawled to the officer and delivered my dispatch.

"The blood was running from my mouth. Then I fell back unconscious. The time was about 9.15am and it was dreadfully hot. There I lay throughout the day and night, with shot and shell falling around me.

"Towards the latter part of the afternoon there was a terrific thunderstorm and the rain came down in torrents throughout the night."

He was eventually picked up by a party of Gordon Highlanders at 1.15am the next day after lying in the field for almost 16 hours. He remained in hospital for five weeks and lost almost 49lb on a diet of horse and mule meat.

His letter concluded: "At the Battle of Lombard's Kop I was mentioned in dispatches for carrying a wounded officer off the field in heavy fire. Hope next time it will be the VC."

During another brush with the Boers, Field's horse was shot from under him and he was knocked unconscious. He woke to find the enemy looting his possessions.

The Boers let him go but Field's luck ran out on March 2, 1902, when he was killed in action at Doornlaage, just over a century ago.