Basra

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HrMs Soemba again: do you have beer?!

14 May 1942. Abbekerk finally leaves Colombo setting course for the Persian Gulf. Because they unloaded some of the wheat cargo she is not as deep in the water any more. Without a problem 17 knots cruising speed is met...

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Basra (Iraq). Wheat, heat and Van Houten’s

22 May 1942. In the sweltering heat of the Persian Gulf Abbekerk slowly sails up the river Shatt-al-Arab (Arvand Rood). This large river finds its origin in the coming together of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates and forms the divide...

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Abadan, Persia (Iran) contribution to the Persian Corridor

28 May 1942. In Abadan finally the locomotives are unloaded. Third mate Visser looks at it with mixed feelings. First we unloaded the wooden beams and sleepers, and again inevitable some hit the locomotives while hauled out. Then we docked...

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Under way along the Horn of Africa

4 June 1942. Walter MacNab (1918-2015) is one of four DEMS gunners on Abbekerk. He and three colleagues man the two Lewis machine guns on the bridge. Being a Gunner was rather boring at times and we were poorly paid but...