The Ashford Tank
The Ashford Mark IV "Female" Tank was presented to the town of Ashford, Kent on 1st August 1919 for their "splendid response" to the National War Savings Appeal during the First World War. Captain Walter Farrer MC of 4th Battalion, The Tank Corps and Crew drove the Tank from Ashford station to St George's Square where she has stood ever since.
This tank was one of 265 presented to numerous towns across the UK that had contributed greatly to the British war effort. The Ashford Tank also happens to be the last to survive.
She is now a listed monument and a War Memorial.
The Tank, numbered '245' was allegedly built in Glasgow and used for training crews in Bovington.
The Mark IV was introduced in 1917, and was split into three categories: Male, Female & Tenders (carried supplies). The weaponry of a female tank was different to that of a Male as it had an armament of five Lewis machine guns whereas the Male had three machine guns and two 6-Pdr artillery guns.
With a top speed of a lightning fast 4mph, the female tanks were used to counter infantry during an advance with their deadly machine guns.
In total, 595 female tanks were built at the cost of £5,000 a unit.
There are a total of eight surviving Mark IV tanks, with '245' being the only one on display to the public.
