Adriaan Willem Kik (1919 - 2000), ass. engineer on the MS Abbbekerk who's memoires made this site possible
On this page you find some pictures of Abbekerk and related stuff. I collected these from the internet and various museum and other sources and downsized most of them for this site. If you want to use the picture, are interested in a the full size copy or want a picture removed, please contact me.
(For scanned Dutch newspaperarticles: click here)
Click the picture for a bigger one.
Abbekerk after being launched 1939
This picture is probably taken during seatrials after she was launched in february 1939. Abbekerk was a modern and fast freighter, with diesel engines, twin screws she had a cruising speed of 17 knots and did 22 knots during trials
Western Schelde Holland 1939
Abbekerk on the Westerschelde near Antwerp, before the war. |
Northern Atlantic Ocean August 29 1942
Amazing painting and picture of the corvette HMS Wallflower finding the lifeboats of Abbekerk after she has been torpedoed 3 days earlier. |
 Many thanks to Tom Shutlleworth (crewmember of the HMS Wallflower) who made the painting and to Shirley Fielden and her Wallflower website for providing both the painting and the picture. |
Mystery 1939(?) Found this picture recently in my fathers belongings. Anybody any idea where this is? |
Capetown 1939 Abbekerk in Capetown before the war. Probably end 1939, early 1940.(Source: The Maritime museum South Africa ) |
Capetown 1940 She’s painted grey now, but is not armed yet. So the picture is probably taken in june 1940 when she was on her way to from Madras to England.(Source: The Maritime museum South Africa ) |
Antwerp 1939
Unique picture of Abbekerk alongside het sistership Arendskerk . Somebody couloured in the neutrality flags on the ships sides. The Arendskerk, under master Wijker, was sunk by gunfire of U44 in januari 1940 before Holland had entered the war. Wijker became master of the Abbekerk in 1941 after she was refloated in London). This picture is probably taken in Antwerp, september 1939) |
Singapore 1939 Abbekerk in Singapore. This picture probably is taken before the war on one of Abbekerks first voyages, since she is in her original paint. |
Convoy WS12Z 1941 Abbekerk in convoy WS12Z from England to Durban. Drawing from Lt Geofrey North, 35th LAA Regiment, Gunner aboard Abbekerk. |
Convoy DM.01 1941/42 Abbekerk in convoy DM.01 from Durban to Singapore. Drawing from Lt Geofrey North, 35th LAA Regiment, Gunner aboard Abbekerk. |
Tjilatjap 1942On Februari 25/26 Tjilatjap thousands of retreating troops and civilian regugees tried to escape the oncoming Japanese invasion. Tjilitjap was the only remaining port on Java and the Dutch East Indies. “The captain of an Australian warship stood at the head of a long line of cars, buses and trucks. They were lined up for demolition at the port of Tjilatjap, Java at the time of the evacuation of 11th and 22nd Squadron personnel [7th Bomb Group] to Australia. Acid was poured into vehicle engines and their gas tanks were set on fire. The train in the background [? photo probably cropped for book and train no longer visible] also was destroyed before the troops departed.”“Some 11th and 22nd Squadron personnel awaited boarding the Dutch ship “Abbekerk” at Tjilatjap.” (Source: Pictorial History of the 7th Bombardment Group/Wing 1918-1995 (1998 7th BG Historical Foundation) from Wilbur W. Mayhew on page 86. (Credits to Wilbur W. Mayhew and Robert Smith) |
 On February 27, with the invasion iminent and the battle of the Java Sea lost, 24 merchant ships, packed with refugees left port for Fremantle and Colombo. Only 11 ships arrived at their destinations, the others were intercepted and sunk, with many casualties, by a large Japanese Naval force south of Java. Abbekerk, with over 1500 troops and refugees on board, was one of the 11 lucky ships.Troops aboard Abbekerk on the shelterdeck (Source: page 239 of James D. Rorrison’s book, ‘Nor the Years Contemn: Air War on the Australian Front 1941-1942′ (Palomar Publications 1992) and Col. Ritchie B. Gooch.) |
 Same picture, different angle(Source National Museum of The USAF in Dayton.) |
 “Mealtime on the Abbekerk”(source: ‘19th Bombardment Association’)Thanks to Edward Rogers for finding these 5 ‘Tjilatjap’ pictures. |
The Harbour of Tjilatjap on February 27 1942. This pictures is taken from Kota Gede which was moured next to Abbekerk that day. In the evening of this day 24 ships would leave for Australia and Colombo, only 11 arrived |
Fremantle March 1942 Abbekerk in Fremantle in march 1942. After het lucky escape from Tjilatjap Abbekerk safely reached Fremantle on march 4 with over 1500 soldiers and evacuees on board. On this picture you can see the anti submarine gun on the aft-deck but also the makeshift latrines on her sides. I have no pictures of Abbekerk after this point. (Thanks to: Picture Australia ) |
Monsterboekje My dad’s “monsterboekje” in which all his voyages are noted. He left Rotterdam in juli 1939 for one voyage. But it would not be until 6 years later before he returned home again. |
Affiche (Poster) VNS These are two posters/folders from the VNS for the Holland- East Asia Line and the Holland – Australia line.The first is from 1938 and displaying Arendskerk (build in 1938) or her sistership Abbekerk (under contruction at that time) .The second affiche is diplaying the same ship. The date of the affiche is not know and could be from after the war when VNS had three near-sisters of Abbekerk build for the Australia line. The ship displayed however is Arendskerk or Abbekerk since the post-war ships had their funnel more to the front of the ship.(Source: affiche museum http://www.affichemuseum.nl/nl/40c4adfe9a5dd ) |
 (Source: VNS website http://www.vns-voe.nl/ and Berend Jansen) |
Two remarks on the pictures after some research on the http://www.maritiemdigitaal.nl/ website of the dutch maritime museums:
The one from the book with the officer overseeing the demolition of cars: this was taken in Oosthaven (Sumatra) a week earlier.
(Situation was quite simular and Abbekerk was there at that time too)
The folders are now confirmed from before the war since I found a folder/timetable from 1938 with the same pictures.
By: Peter on September 3, 2008
at 7:15 pm