Here local historian Steve Peak reflects on the tragic incident. He writes: George, aged 57, of 12 All Saints Street, was a married man with two children, and had been a fisherman since he was 14. He was working on the deck of his boat the Valiant RX 90 when it was struck by the 311 ton London-bound coaster the Fredrick Hughes.

The sea was calm and there was good visibility when the coaster hit the Valiant on the starboard side and made a large hole just below deck level. George was thrown into the water but was dragged out again by the other man on board, 41-year old Peter Adams. A Coastguard helicopter from Manston raced to the scene and carried him to the Royal East Sussex Hospital in Cambridge Road, but he was found to be dead on arrival.

The Valiant was saved from sinking by being leaned over to the port side so that the hole in the hull was out of the water.

At the inquest a month later there was considerable confusion about the cause of the disaster. The jury returned a verdict of ‘Accidental death’, but some fishermen blamed the captain of the coaster, Robert Smith, of Southend-on-Sea. At the end of inquest he was struck a violent blow by Ian Matthews of Athelstan Road, son-in-law of George’s widow Alice, cutting open his cheek which bled profusely, requiring hospital treatment. Mr Matthews then apologised and Mr Smith said he did not want the police to take action him for alleged assault.

Expert evidence to the inquest indicated there had been confusion over which of the two vessels should have given way to the other. The fishing community turned out in large numbers for George’s funeral, with all boats flying flags at half-mast, and many donations helped pay for the restoration of the Valiant. Today she is owned by the Fishermen’s Museum, standing on permanent display on the beach close to the Museum. Inside the Museum there is a display commemorating the 50th anniversary of the disaster.

The Valiant was built in Newhaven for the Adams family in 1953. She was the last Hastings boat to be built with the overhanging ‘lute’ stern. The colour photo shows her in April 1984 on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, with a flag at half-mast.

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