Maritime record TQ 77 NW 85 - Hans Egede, a schooner, Higham Creek

Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:

TQ 70697645 Hulk of a wooden two masted craft adjacent to the remains of a jetty like structure on the north side of Higham Creek seen on air photographs. (1-3)

The remains of the unnamed wreck described above by the previous authority was mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. The wreck lies at at TQ 7070 764 adjacent to the ruined remains of a wooden jetty on the northern edge of Higham Creek. It is possible that this vessel has also been recorded in NMR Monument Record: 1025419, located at TQ 7068 7650. No other vessel fitting this description could be seen on available aerial photographs. (4)

Seen to be located beside a jetty at the northern edge of Higham Creek, in the inter-tidal zone, measuring 36m by 8m. The vessel was seen, when photographed in 2010, to retain a coherent vessel shape but to be breaking apart towards the stern; the remains comprise her outer hull planking and deck planking which are coming apart. (5)(6)(7)

Wreck Event and Documentary Evidence:

Built as a three-masted auxiliary vessel in 1922, and reported damaged by fire west of the Noord Hinder light vessel on 21-AUG-1955. She was towed to Dover, where the fire was extinguished, passing in 1957 into the ownership of the Atlas Diesel Co. and towed out of Dover to spend some years on the Medway as a coal or grain hulk. While being towed up Sea Reach to Cubits Town on the Thames her already weakened structure became strained and she began to take in water and sink. She then grounded on Blyth Sands before being beached at Cliffe. (6)

Built 1922, 303 tons gross, belonging to Sejro [now Sejero]. On 21-AUG-1955 she suffered a fire in the North Sea about 1 mile SW of the Noord Hinder light vessel. At about 5pm in a light easterly breeze, the current also setting easterly, and light fog, she was discovered to be on fire. Smoke and flames were shooting up from the engine skylight and porthole. The alarm was sounded and the ship made for the light vessel, but the engine stalled and the port anchor was made fast with a 60 fathom chain. The fire quickly spread aft and into the wheelhouse and ignited both lifeboats and the fire hose. Signals of distress and flares were fired and the light vessel summoned help. At about 1745 the crew were taken aboard the MS LATONA of Bremen, since an explosion in the engine compartment was feared, but were returned and continued to fight the fire with LATONA's firefighting equipment. The HANS EGEDE was later taken in tow by LATONA to Dover, where they arrived on the 22nd at 0630. The fire was extinguished by 2200 with the assistance of firefighters at Dover.

It was thought that the fire might have been caused by a fuel leak. (8)

Built: 1922 (6)
Builder: J Th. Thorgesen (6)
Where Built: Thuro (6)

Date of Loss Qualifier: Approximate date of loss

Historic England archive material: (15)

Historic England, Archive material associated with the Remains of wreck of the Danish cargo vessel HANS EGEDE (Archive). SKE58641.

<1> Eve, D., 1999, A guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Kent, I34 (Monograph). SWX9293.

<2> Lane, A., 1999, Shipwrecks of Kent, p 32 (Monograph). SWX9301.

<3> 2000, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10273.

<4> 1979, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10955.

<5> 1979, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10968.

<6> 1993, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10969.

<7> 1993, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10970.

<8> 1993, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10973.

<9> 1993, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10975.

<10> 1993, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10978.

<11> 1993, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10980.

<12> 1979, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10985.

<13> Wessex Archaeology, 2005, North Kent Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey: Phase ll: Field Assessment Year Two Report (Unpublished document). SWX12323.

<14> Allan Cherry, A pictorial histpry of Colling and Cliff (Monograph). SWX12324.