A small service has been held to remember the loss and heroism of a Victoria Cross recipient from Petersfield who died in battle 110 years ago.

Around a dozen people gathered outside St Peter’s Church on Sunday to commemorate naval hero, Commander Loftus Jones RN, VC.

The 36-year-old was leading a division of Destroyers before being killed in action during the Battle of Jutland on May 31, 1916.

But the concern for his men, and his determination to fight to the bitter end, was the stuff of legend with Reverend Will Hughes, who led the service, calling his tale a story of “vast, vast courage”.

It seemed inevitable that Cmdr Jones would end up ruling the waves as his father was Vice Admiral Loftus Francis Jones of Hylton House.

He was educated at Eastman’s Royal Navy Academy in Fareham and rose from Cadet to Midshipman within two years of stepping foot on HMS Britannia in January 1894. When the First World War began he was in command of new Destroyer HMS Linnet when it sank a German minelayer in August 1914, later naming his daughter after the vessel he led.

Cmdr Jones was onboard HMS Shark when the bridge of the Torpedo Boat Destroyer was struck by a German shell, putting its steering gear out of action. The ship was left helpless after its main engines were left disabled by another shell, but he refused assistance from another Destroyer, not to run the risk of being sunk.

Despite being wounded in the leg Cmdr Jones was tireless in helping his crew through worsening conditions, keeping the remaining gun in action while coming under constant heavy fire.

He even continued to give orders to his gun’s crew after losing most of his leg, and gave orders for an Ensign to be raised even at the bitter end.

There’s more to his extraordinary tale but he sadly perished after giving the orders for his crew to don their lifebelts, and was later buried in Sweden.

His name can be seen today on the Petersfield War Memorial and on his wife’s headstone at Loxwood churchyard, near Haslemere.

There’s also a plaque at St Peter’s with town mayor, Cllr Jamie Matthews, gathering with Petersfield Royal British Legion members and well-wishers for last weekend’s ceremony.

“Right at the end, a large ship appeared over the horizon, and he wanted to know whether the six crew that survived fell into allied or enemy hands,” said Rev Hughes during the service.

“When he learned they had been saved by a neutral vessel, he said ‘that’s good’ and then he died on that life raft.

Rev Hughes added: “He chose to fight – his courage is the courage of our town and our streets. It never ends.”

The service included a rendition of The Naval Hymn, a citation and perfectly-observed minute’s silence, started and broken by the blow of a bosun’s pipe.

The naval prayer and Lord’s prayer were also read, before Rev Hughes gave a blessing.