Christian's Fleet: A Dorset Shipping Tragedy

In November 1795 a large fleet of ships set sail from Britain destined for the West Indies. Commanded by Admiral Christian, and with thousands of men on the vessels on their way to fight the French, the convoy encountered one of the worst storms in living memory. Most ships escaped damage, but 6 were wrecked on Chesil Beach. This is the story of that fateful night's tragedy and its aftermath.