A HORRABRIDGE man is heading to South Africa to take part in a reenactment to honour the heroic actions which spawned the proud naval tradition of field gun competitions.

Tony Fennell will be joining a team of 25 men from Portsmouth Field Gun Association pulling a massive gun up a remote mountain that was the scene of a Boer War skirmish.

The field gun competition had its roots in the Boer War battle at Vaalkranz which took place more than 100 years ago.

Until recently, the origins of the field gun run were always thought to be the Battle of Ladysmith where troops hauled field guns over land to relieve besieged British forces, but a South African historian has found the real inspiration for the competition was the lesser-known skirmish at Swartkop Hill at Vaalkranz.

In the Battle of Vaalkranz on February 5-7, 1899, sailors from HMS Philomel and HMS Tartar spent two nights drawing heavy guns to the foot of Swartkop hill. The guns then had to be dragged 400ft up the hill, much of which was at a 40 degree angle and in impossible conditions.

The field gun reenactment will take place next month, with the Portsmouth crew borrowing a South African 12lb gun for the occasion.

Mr Fennell, a former naval engineer, who has lived in Horrabridge for more than 20 years, had initially expected to travel as a team supporter, but was recently called up to take part as one of the team pulling the gun.

The gruelling field gun run was the showpiece event at the Royal Tournament until the traditional military show was abandoned in recent years. Mr Fennell, speaking as a veteran of many field gun runs, said the field gun tradition was still prospering.

?Field gun doesn?t belong in a museum. The only way to keep it alive is to keep recruiting youngsters,? said Mr Fennell.

Mr Fennell said taking part in the reenactment would be quite different to taking part in a field gun run. ?The gun in this particular instance is similar, but it has to be taken up a hill, and the last part is so steep, we will have to use block and tackle to move it, so it is reasonably dangerous,? he said.

Mr Fennell said he hoped the reenactment in South Africa would become an annual event, with plans for another event in 2004 already being drawn up. ?Next year, I hope to go as a spectator only,? he added.

Mr Fennell said he had trained in preparation for the event at Bodyzone fitness studio in Tavistock and by running on Dartmoor.