THE ASHFORD

The wind from the west was nearly force 5, and building. It brought the German barque Pirat romping up the Channel with most sails set, homeward bound for Hamburg, writes Kendall McDonald. Coming the other way from Seaham and cutting across the Channel to work along the French coast and then down to St Nazaire was the 1211 ton British steamer Ashford, a collier built in Sunderland in 1881.The collision,15 miles south-west of Beachy Head, was colossal. Only a minute made all the difference between a near miss and the Pirat ploughing into the Ashford's stern near her propeller, on 25 June, 1906. It wasn't a miss; the impact holed her stern, sending seawater flooding into her two aft coal-filled holds.The Pirat drifted clear with buckled bow plates, but was taking in little water and in the end made it safely to Hamburg, where 40 plates needed to be replaced and the bow almost completely rebuilt.The 275ft-long Ashford was less fortunate. Though she was taken in tow by the steam tug Dominion, she was filling rapidly and in two hours, before they reached water shallow enough to beach her, the tow had to be cast off. Captain Tom Smith and his crew were taken off just before she rolled right over and sank. One of the Ashford's crew of 18 was later found to be missing.

Ashford Beer