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Adriaan Willem Kik (1919 - 2000), ass. engineer on the MS Abbbekerk who's memoires made this site possible
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Latest update: June 29, 2009
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Dear Visitor,
This website is dedicated to my father Adriaan Willem Kik (1919 – 2000) and the MS Abbekerk (1939 – 1942) a 7900 brt freighter of the Verenigde Nederlandse Scheepvaartmaatschappij (VNS). My Dad was 4th engineer on the MS Abbekerk during the Second World War. The Abbekerk was stationed in London during the Blitz and in the Dutch East Indies during the fall of Singapore and Java and took part in the evacuation of US and Australian troops and civilians from Tjilatjap to Fremantle. In august 1942 the Abbekerk was torpedoed and sunk 500 miles southwest of England by U-604. Just before my father passed away in 2000 he wrote his ‘memoires’ of his time on the Abbekerk.
This site is build around these ‘memoires’ and all kind of other information I collected related to that period and the theatres the Abbekerk was active in. Use the menu on the top to navigate the site:
- Preface: (now placed under the story) Some background of how I came to make this website
- The Story: My father’s memoires, split in chapters
- The Crew: List of the men that sailed on Abbekerk (with links to personal stories and info)
- The Route: an overview of Abbekerks voyages (in text and with a Google Map)
- The Ship: an insight in Abbekerk’s carreer, technical information and backgrounds
- Mysteries: parts of the Abbekerk-puzzle still missing
- Pictures: just pictures
- Fragments: links to websites, books and other information in which Abbekerk plays a role. Most stories are made directly readable on this site
- Research: researching a ship yourself? Here I will describe how I did it, with relevant links to archieves, websites etc. (This item is being build now)
Thanks to all people who helped me with information, stories and pictures. Many thanks in particular to mister Ben van Essen from Adalaide (Australia) who offered to translate my fathers story and managed to finish this enourmous task very fast! Without him this website, with all its international connections, had not been possible.
If you have any information about the Abbekerk or are in need of information of her, please contact me:
email peter.kik@tip.nl is no longer active! Please use rusu72fr@kpnmail.nl for now.
Sorry for the inconvenience
If you find this site usefull, interesting or have any other comments please leave a message below!
Hi Mr. Kik / Goedenavond meneer Kik,
As a Dutch Japanese Navy freak I would like to direct your attention to the following:
http://www.combinedfleet.com/PB-106_t.htm
and especially the 10 January 1942 entry, of course! :-)
Being one of the very few Dutch frequenting Nihon Kaigun (www.combinedfleet.com) and j.aircraft.com, it was my pleasure and privilege to provide a substantial lot of the information for the ‘Shokaitei!’ (captured patrol boats) section, Dutch chapter, of the magnificient Nihon Kaigun website. Besides, I took a look on the NEI Forum after a too long absence there – and I saw your message about ABBEKERK.
The next minute, so to say, the connection was made.
I have a deep appreciation for your site and your father’s memoirs (one immediately recognizes the
Sailor pure and simple – his story is to-the-point and honest). It seems there are not many like him left today… this self-promoted clubman-seat Admiral does not count himself among them, for instance).
Als Nederlandse Japanse marine-gek zou ik graag Uw aandacht vestigen op de volgende link:
http://www.combinedfleet.com/PB-106_t.htm
en dan vooral het onder het kopje ‘10 januari 1942′ vermelde! :-)
Als één van de weinige Nederlanders, die Nihon Kaigun (www.combinedfleet.com) en j.aircraft.com frequenteren, was het mij een genoegen en een voorrecht een groot deel van de informatie te leveren voor het ‘Shokaitei!’ (veroverde patrouilleboten) hoofdstuk, Nederlands onderdeel, van de magnifieke Nihon Kaigun website. Ook nam ik, na veel te lange afwezigheid, weer eens een kijkje op het Nederlands-Indisch forum – en toen zag ik Uw bericht over de ABBEKERK website.
Het volgende ogenblik was de link gelegd, zou men kunnen zeggen. Ik heb een grote waardering voor Uw website en de memoires van Uw vader (men herkent meteen de Zeeman, puur en eenvoudig – zijn verhaal is relevant en recht-door-zee). Het lijkt alsof er tegenwoordig niet velen meer zijn als hij… deze zelf-benoemde leunstoel-Admiraal rekent zichzelf daar vooral niet toe).
Kind regards, / Met vriendelijke groet,
Adm Gurita (A. Gritter)
By: Adm Gurita on August 2, 2007
at 10:18 pm
The german heavy armed merchant cruiser Atlantis, skippered by Bernhard Rogge, assumed the identity of the MV Abbekerk around May 21, 1940. The Atlantis had been posing as the Japanese Kasii Maru but allied wireless declared a Japanese merchant ship had been identified as a possible raider operating around Ceylon. Rogge made the changes and continued to operate in the the indian ocean before moving to the sunda strait. He kept the MV Abbekerk disguise for some months. The Atlantis was eventually sunk in November 1941 while on it’s way back to Germany. Refer to Rogge’s book ‘Under Ten Flags’
By: adam elliott on August 14, 2007
at 10:36 am
Hartelijk dank voor Uw bericht en website.
Wij zijn momenteel bezig een klein boekje te schrijven over de Nederlandse bijdrage aan de strijd om Australie. We willen dit uitgeven bij de onthulling van een gedenkplaat hier in Adelaide voor al diegenen die een bijdrage in WW2 geleverd hebben.
Ik neem aan dat U geen bezwaar heeft tegen het vermelden van enige feiten in uw website in het boekje.
Groeten,
Jan Vel
By: Jan Vel on August 28, 2007
at 7:33 am
I am currently typing up all of my father’s memoirs of the war and his time in Singapore. He passed away in 2001. Whilst piecing together some stories, I came across his memory of leaving Tjilatjap. My father’s troop had walked most of the way from Batavia to Tjilatjap – and were triumphant to see the sight of masses of troops on the main quayside. After reporting to the Army RTO, they were directed to the Abbekerk which they had to cross to board the ship tied next to it – the “Kota Gede”. They sailed on this ship for about 14 days to reach Columbo but before mainland was reached, they found out that the Abbekerk had been torpedoed on its way to Australia. This was one of my father’s very narrow escapes with his life.
I hope you find this of interest and good luck with all your research.
Regards, Lynn Barkus
By: Lynn Barkus on November 8, 2007
at 11:43 am
Hi,
I was browsing the Web the other day and came across the most interesting account of your Dad’s account of the voyage made by the MV Abbekerk from her sailing from Gourock on the Clyde until iis demise in the north Atlantic in August 1942. Iwas on board this ship at the time, being one of a group of four DEMS Gunners.(Later called Maritime AcAc Regiment). I could go on but rather than do so I would prefer you to contact me for further information if you have any questions to ask.
Best wishes
Walter Macnab
By: Walter Macnab on February 23, 2009
at 3:17 pm
I read your most interesting account of your father’s account of his day (feb 27 in the harbour at Tjilatjap). I was in the R.A.F.and boarded a dutch vessel Kota Gede at 5.30 a.m. on that day. We waited on deck all day and left the harbour at 8.00 p.m.
I think it was the last one to leave. I have a book by aJapanese fighter pilot, Sabaru Sakai. He was in flight of aircraft which was sent to bomb Tjilatjap 0n the 28th. He wrote every ship had left the harbour ;so we just got out in time. Many allied service men owe their lives to the Dutch sea men who got them out. Regards Ian Robinson
By: ian robinson on March 15, 2009
at 9:34 pm
a great epitaph to a true seaman
By: Anonymous on May 7, 2009
at 7:57 pm