A sought-after medal won by a marine from East Meon, who lay wounded next to Lord Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar, has gone on display to mark Trafalgar Day.

The Naval General Service Medal with Trafalgar clasp was awarded to Lieutenant Lewis Reeve in 1849 and has been saved for the nation by the Royal Marines Museum in Southsea, thanks to a contribution of £28,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

Lewis Buckle Reeve was born in East Meon in 1786. Joining the Royal Marines in 1804, he was a Lieutenant of Marines on board HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.

Seriously injured in the fierce battle, Lt Reeve was laid next to the mortally-wounded Nelson and attended to by Mr Beatty, Nelson's surgeon.

Royal Marines Museum marketing manager Sandy Wilson said: "The Naval General Service medal with Trafalgar clasp is a much sought-after medal, especially when it belonged to a Royal Marine.

"The fact that the recipient, Lewis Buckle Reeve, was seriously wounded at Trafalgar, was laid next to the mortally wounded Nelson and tended to by his surgeon increases the importance of the medal dramatically."

The medal is now on show at the Royal Marines Museum alongside other items belonging to Lt Reeve, including the roster of Royal Marines serving onboard HMS Victory.

Lieutenant Reeve recovered from his wounds and went on to fight in Senegal in 1809 against the French, and served aboard HMS Minerva. He retired in 1817 and died at Douglas on the Isle of Man, aged 75, in May 1861.

The medal recently became available via an auction house, and considerable foreign interest was shown from the outset.

Thanks to the support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the medal was bought for £41,000. It is now proudly on show in the museum's Trafalgar exhibition and joins the Museum's renowned collection of over 8,000 medals.

National Heritage Memorial Fund chief executive Carole Souter said: "The National Heritage Memorial Fund saves objects of national importance in memory of those who have given their lives for this country. This medal is a rare reminder of the role played by a Royal Marines Officer, only one of four on board Victory, alongside Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar."

The Royal Marines Museum is open from 10am to 5pm.