WWII Military Units,
HistoryNT,
Second World War, 1939-1945,
Date
0000-00-00,
Location
Darwin Harbour,
Nation of service
Australia,
Service
Navy,
Service branch
Minesweep,
Anti-submarine Escort,
Unit
HMAS Abraham Crijnssen,
Alternative unit name
Abraham Crijnssen HNLMS (A925),
Date arrived in NT
1945-06-07,
Date left the NT
1945-08,
Honours and awards
Battle Honour, Pacific 1941-1945,
History
Serving under two flags the Abraham Crijnssen was the last Dutch ship to leave the East Indies ahead of the Japanese advance. To escape, the somewhat remarkable crew covered the little ship with jungle foliage and moved from island to island by day making her look like a small islet or part of the coastline. She was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy on 28 September 1942 and was operated as an anti-submarine escort vessel. On 5 May 1943 Abraham Crijnssen was officially handed back to the Royal Netherlands Navy. She continued to operate as a convoy escort until 7 June 1945 at which time she deployed to northern Australian waters operating from Darwin. With the cessation of hostilities Abraham Crijnssen swept the passage into Koepang Harbour in Timor for the vessels taking part in the Japanese surrender of that area. She is now preserved by the Dutch Naval Museum at Den Helder in the Netherlands.,