Nearly 100 years after he was killed in action, a World War I soldier has finally been laid to rest by his Winchester nephew three years after his remains were found in a French field.

Lieutenant John Pritchard and Private Christopher Elphick, of The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), were re-interred in the HAC Cemetery at Ecoust-St Mein near Arras in France.

Relatives of both men, who were killed on May 15, 1917, during an enemy attack near Bullecourt, while serving with the HAC's 2nd Battalion, travelled to France for the ceremony where the men, along with two unidentified comrades, were buried with full military honours.

More than 300 people attended the ceremony, including Prince Michael of Kent in his capacity as HAC Royal Honorary Colonel.

The men were buried today just two miles from where they fell in Bullecourt next to the Hindenburg Line.

Lt Pritchard, who survived the Battle of the Somme and a gunshot wound to the neck, was killed alongside Pte Elphick when their battalion was attacked in the early hours of May 15, 1917 during the second Battle of Bullecourt.

Their remains were found in 2009 by elderly farmer Didier Guerle, along with those of two other unidentified HAC soldiers.

Mr Guerle has never ploughed the field but unearthed one of the soldier's gas canisters in 2009, then dug a little deeper to remove it, finding the remains.

Lt Pritchard was identified by a silver identity bracelet, and Pte Elphick by a gold signet ring which bears his initials, but it took three years to trace their relatives.

Two further sets of remains could not be identified, but they were re-interred at the same time as ''HAC soldiers known unto God''.

The soldiers were given full military honours, their coffins draped in the Union flag carried by bearer parties, with the regimental forage cap, belt, and wreath on top, accompanied by the HAC Band.

A military firing party fired a salute during the service and afterwards two of Lt Pritchard's great-nieces and their husbands performed Crossing The Bar - which John Pritchard played to his mother and sister before he left for France the final time.

The families were presented with the flag covering the coffins, as well as Lt Pritchard's identity bracelet and Pte Elphick's signet ring.

Lt Pritchard's family were also given his officer's sword by an American collector who had come across the sword in the USA, and donated it back to his family.

Lt Pritchard had the sword made in the September of 1915 while he was recuperating from injury in the UK.

His battlefield will bequeathed the sword to his brother Ernest, who emigrated to the USA in 1919.

Lt Pritchard's nephew John ''Harold'' Shell laid a wreath on behalf of the family during the ceremony.

The 89-year-old, from Winchester, said it was an ''incredible'' experience.

''I can hardly put it into words,'' he said.

He said despite knowing about his uncle's death in the First World War, they never expected his remains to be found, until 18 months ago when they were informed.

''It never entered your head, after all these years why should it?

''It seems silly to say it but the feeling I had was that he is coming home. He isn't of course, but that was the feeling.''

Mr Shell, who was among more than 30 members of the Pritchard family, said it was particularly emotional visiting Bullecourt, where the soldiers were killed.

''Unexpectedly to me I was completely overwhelmed, my emotions just took charge.

''I envisaged my mother who died some years ago standing there with me. It is a very strange feeling, even talking about it affects me now.''

The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest regiment in the British Army, was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII.

Its regiments have fought in both world wars and the current Regiment forms part of the Territorial Army.

The company is a registered charity which works to achieve its aim to attend to ''better defence of the realm'', mainly by the support of the HAC Regiment, whose members are mostly drawn from men and women working in and around London.