The tank located in St. George’s Square, at the junction of Castle Street and New Street was gifted to the town following World War I, to recognise the effort made by the townspeople in purchasing war bonds.
The tank is a Female Mark IV tank.
Production of the Mark IV commenced in May 1917.
The tank is 26’5″ (8.05m) in length, 13’6″ (4.12m) in width and was 27 tons (27.4 tonnes) in weight.
It carried five Lewis machine guns (cf. the male version which was armed with two QF 6 pounder, 6cwt Hotchkiss guns and three Lewis Machine guns).
Why it is here
Financing the War
A week before Germany invaded Belgium, triggering the First World War, in 2014, the United Kingdom foreign exchange market collapsed as banks and investors sought to protect themselves from the impact of the impending war on European markets. This resulted in the closure of the London Stock Exchange on 31st July.
To give time for the Government and Bank of England to act the August Bank Holiday set for 3rd August was extended by three days, during which time legislation was rushed through to stop a run on paper money, bonds and bills of exchange. [i]
War was declared on 4th August.
Under the Currency and Bank Notes Act, the Treasury issued £ 300 million in paper banknotes, withdrew from the Gold Standard and declared a moratorium on contracted payments, allowing banks to refuse the return of deposits.
For the first few months the government financed the war with advances from the Bank of England but by late autumn it needed additional funds resulting in the issue of the first of a series of loans and bonds on 7th November. Loans and bonds issued from 2014 through to 2017 raised £ 2.2 billion.
In October 2017 the government needed further funds and issued a new type of bond known as the National War Bond.
Tank Tour
On 9th November 2017 a male and a female Mark IV tank took part in the Lord Mayor of London’s Parade.
Eleven days later 300 such tanks were launched against the German Hindenburg Line near Cambrai in France.
The tanks in the Lord Mayor’s show created such a stir that the National War Savings Committee arranged that Tank 130 “Nelson” was included in a display of armaments that was shown for a fortnight, from 25th November, in Trafalgar Square to promote the Bonds i. was a veteran of the Western Front. A hut was set up adjacent to Nelson to take subscriptions to the National War Bond. The success of this promotion encouraged the Committee to arrange that Nelson and five other tanks toured major towns and cities, each hosting a tank for a week. The city which raised the most funds would be presented with 141 “Egbert”i.
None of the tanks visited Ashford. Nelson visited Rochester in April 1918.[ii]
Recognising generosity
Of the cities that did receive a touring tank West Hartlepool raised £ 2 million the most per head of population at £ 37. Egbert was presented to the town on 29th April 1919.[iii]
At the end of March 1919 it was announced that the National War Savings Committee was to gift a tank to 264 towns of more than 10,000 inhabitants ii,[iv] that had made extra effort in raising funds through the purchase of War Savings Bonds and War Savings Certificates. Ashford was one of the towns selected [v].
The tanks were not universally popular. Some of the selected towns rejected the offer.
Tank 245
Tank 245 was selected for presentation to Ashford. Tank 245 is a female Mark IV that didn’t see service in France but was used for training at Bovington.
Tank 245 was delivered by train on 14th July 1919 and stored in the station yard until 1st August [vi], when it was driven up Station Road and along the High Street to its current position by Captain Walter Farrar MC, a veteran of Ypres and Cambrai. The route thronged with spectators [vii].
Survival
As noted above the tanks were not universally popular. Of the towns that did receive tanks some quickly decided that the reminder of the war was not wanted. In March 1920 in Kings Lynn a councillor sought to amend a proposal to move a tank within the gardens that it was located, to ask that it be removed completely [viii]. Bilston did have their tank removed in 1923 [ix]. A decision to remove that in Goole was reversed as a result of the weight of public opinion [x].
Traffic flow
In December 1923 it is reported that Ashford Urban District Council enquired of the Tank Corps at Lydd as to whether Tank 245 could be moved under its own power. Apparently, it was considered an obstruction to the flow of traffic.
By January 1924 the Buildings, Pavings and Roads Committee had quotations for the complete removal of the tank and proposed that a quotation for £30 from a Mr. Ripley for purchase of the tank be accepted. An amendment to defer the decision on disposal until the cost of moving it had been fully ascertained was rejected and the proposal to sell it carried by 7 votes to 5 [xi],[xii].
The local branch of the British Legion discussed the matter and, although there seemed to be a general consensus that the tank should be retained the motion communicated to the Council was that “the meeting viewed with regret the suggested sale, by the Urban Council, of the tank and that, failing the selection of a more suitable site, consider the desirability of recommending that the tank be placed in the grounds of the Drill Hall; but if the Council sells the tank the branch respectfully suggests that the proceeds therefrom be devoted to the Relief Fund for the benefit of necessitous ex-servicemen and their dependents.”
The Kentish Express reported on 19th January that “Ashford had suddenly acquired worldwide notoriety. The decision to sell the war tank for £30 has not only been published by the press of the country but had been broadcast throughout the British Isles and had even reached America and our colonies.” A correspondent wrote: “I was simply staggered and not only staggered but pained to hear that my native town had so far insulted men as to sell the memorial of the great conflict. …” [xiii]
Whether it was the pleading of the British Legion or the embarrassment created by publicity is unclear, but in March the Council referred the whole matter of disposal of the tank to the clerk for further consideration. No further mention is found of discussion by the Council but obviously the decision to sell the tank was reversed [xiv].
Electricity
In 1929 a further proposal to remove the tank became its saviour. The Council’s Electricity Committee asked for it to be removed to make way for an electricity kiosk. Councillors recalling the objections to the previous proposal moved to refer the matter back to the Electricity Committee [xv].
It was again the British Legion that rescued Tank 245 by suggesting, in a letter to the Electricity Committee, that the interior of the tank be so converted that it could be used as a kiosk by the electricity undertaking. A letter was also received from the Past and Present Association of The Buffs that felt that its removal and probable destruction would be regretted by the majority of ex-servicemen. A new recommendation that the necessary alterations be carried out to allow the kiosk to be placed in the tank was adopted by the Council [xvi]. The Tuesday Express reported on the completion of the installation in April 1930 [xvii].
When the few remaining tanks presented to other towns were removed to aid the effort for World War II, Ashford’s tank was retained because it housed the transformer. The transformer remained until 1968.
St. George’s Square Layout
In 1962 a suggestion was made to move the tank to another site, this time by the town’s Chamber of Trade.
The Chamber’s Management Committee resolved on 1 February to approach the Urban District Council with the proposal, as St. George’s Square would lend itself to an “attractive layout”. At the meeting the tank was described as “an ugly obstruction” and “a monstrosity”. One member thought that the square would benefit from a decorative fountain and the guest speaker that the town should “go gay” and have fountains and flowers. [xviii]
The Highways Committee of the Urban District Council recommended that the Council should not consider removing the Tank until the scheme for redevelopment of the central area is approved.[xix]
Loan Request
In 1972 The National Museum of Canada approached the Council with a request to borrow the Tank. In exchange the Museum offered to send a Second World War tank or some other military relic to Ashford. The request was turned down [xx].
List
The tank was added to the National Heritage List for England in 1976 [xxi], giving it statutory protection and registered as a War Memorial in 1989 [xxii].
Canopy
In 1986 the development of Park Mall provided the opportunity to provide some protection to the tank in the form of the canopy that now covers it. The Park Mall developer contributed half the cost; Ashford Borough Council providing the remainder of the funding. This did cause some conflict within the Council as the Kennington Lees member objected to the expenditure when funding had not been provided for the purchase of land adjacent to the church in Kennington.
Centenary
The Ashford Tank was used by the Royal Tank Regiment Association as a focus for their commemoration of the centenary of the Battle of Cambrai, the first battle that made large scale, effective use of tanks.
Funding
Ashford Borough Council has set aside £ 300,000 toward restoration of Tank 245; as part of a £ 1 million package of support for heritage landmarks [xxiii]. The Heritage Lottery Fund has invited Ashford Borough Council and The Ashford Heritage & Memorial Charitable Foundation to submit a Development Stage grant application for the restoration.[xxiv]
Model
On display in the Museum is a model of the Mark IV Female tank that stands in Ashford town centre. The model was built by apprentices at 44 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Workshop in Ashford.
The Workshop also carried out some refurbishment to the real tank in 1978 and 1988.
[i] Tattersfield, David, The First World War paid off?, 30 December 1990, The Western Front Association, www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/2020/december/the-first-world-war-paid-off/, retrieved 21/10/2026.
[ii] Craig Moore, Tank Week – Fundraising Tanks, 26 December 2022, Tank Encyclopedia, tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/uk/tank-week, retrieved 21/10/2026
[iii] West Hartlepool wins the tank, 25 March 1919, Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail
[iv] Many Tanks, 27 March 1919, Yorkshire Evening Post.
[v] A Tank for Ashford, 5 April 1919, Kentish Express and Ashford News.
[vi] The Tank, 19 July 1919, Kentish Express and Ashfod News.
[vii] Ashford’s Tank – Enthusiastic reception, 5 August 1919, Tuesday Express.
[viii] The War Tank, 12 March 1920,
Lynn Advertiser, Wispech Constitutional Gazette and Norfolk and Cambridgeshire Herald
[ix] War Tank for sale to highest bidder, 5 September 1923, Birmingham Daily Gazette
[x] Goole’s War Tank, 13 September 1923, Hull Daily Mail.
[xi] Ashford’s Tank – possible purchase protest, 12 January 1924, Kentish Express and Ashford News.
[xii] Tank on Trial, 15 January 1924, Tuesday Express.
[xiii] Editorial View, 19 January 1924, Kentish Express and Ashford News.
[xiv] Ashford’s Tank – The British Legion suggestion, 19 January 1924, Kentish Express and Ashford News.
[xv] Trials of Ashford’s Tank – Another move to move it, 7 May 1929, Tuesday Express.
[xvi] Council respects wishes of ex-service men, 11 June 1929, Tuesday Express.
[xvii] New use for war tank, 8 April 1930, Tuesday Express.
[xviii] Should Ashford War Tank be moved?, 20 February 1962, Tuesday Express.
[xix] Cr Doe will fight to keep the Tank, 13 April 1962, Kentish Express
[xx] Lend our Tank – not likely, 2 January 1972, Tuesday Express.
[xxi] Tank Situated in Centre of New Street, 4 June 1976, Historic England, List Entry Number 1184646, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1184646, retrieved 22 October 1926.
[xxii] WW1 Mark IV female tank number 245 covered by a canopy, WMR No. 43725, Imperial War Museum, War Memorials Register, https://memorials.iwm.org.uk/memorial/43725, retrieved 22 October 2026.
[xxiii] Protecting three of Ashford’s best loved heritage landmarks, Ashford Borough Council, 1 June 2026, www.ashford.gov.uk/news/latest-news/protecting-three-of-ashford-s-best-loved-heritage-landmarks/, retrieved 22/10/2026.
[xxiv] Positive step forward for Ashford’s historic First World War tank, Ashford Borough Council, 29 June 2026, www.ashford.gov.uk/news/latest-news/positive-step-forward-for-ashfords-historic-first-world-war-tank/, retrieved 22 June 2026.
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