BAK small

Dirk Bak was born in the city of Utrecht, located in the middle of the Netherlands, on 07 July 1916. He was the son of Marinus Ingel Bak, a local gymnastics teacher. His mother (Dirkje van Vliet) had passed away by the time Dirk went to the maritime academy.

He entered the Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart in Amsterdam on 05 September 1932 ) and was assigned to the two year course.  His father must have remarried as there is a step mother mentioned (Sophia Honselaar) in the signing on papers.  As home address was given Burgemeester Knappertlaan 25A at Schiedam.  This raises the question why he did not go to the Maritime School in Rotterdam which was nearly on the door step. (a)

ED note: As Captain Bak sailed for most of his life on the cargo ships, I do not know much about him. If there is family or relatives out there with information and/or photos and would like to contribute, to complete this biography, please contact me on on CaptAlbert1@aol.com

The ss Cottica of te KNSM, This ship sailed on a regular liner service  from Amsterdam to the Dutch colonies in the Caraibbean Sea. (b)

In 1934 he fulfilled his cadet period with the KNSM of Amsterdam (Royal Dutch Boat). He made 5 voyages with this company of which four on the ss Cottica. He then returned to school in January 1936. He passed the exam for 3rd mate on 22 April 1936. (a)

Once qualified he applied for work with Holland America and is placed on 07 May 1937 on board the ss Maasdam (II) a passenger cargo ship employed on the New York service.  Holland America was bringing tonnage back out of lay-up and thus needed more officers. The ss Maasdam (II) had just finished a refit in 1936 and had then returned to sailing.

The ss Maasdam (II). This ship had just been refitted as Holland America was bringing tonnage back out of lay up. Main part was the reconfiguration of the passenger accommodation and removing the 2nd funnel. (b)

After sailing on several cargoships of the B- class, he was assigned to the ss Volendam (I) on April 1940.

 

The ss Volendam (II) with neutral lettering in the period September 1939 to May 1940. (b)

The ship had made it on time out of the Netherlands before the German invasion and he was on board when the ship was torpedoed during a childerens transport. Luckily all were saved. (See story under Volendam (I) on this website) He passed the exam for 2nd mate on 06 April 1941. In this period the ss Volendam (I) is under repairs in Glasgow and Liverpool after the torpedoeing.

He is then transferred in March 1942 (travelling from Halifax to New York by train)  to the ss Noordam (II) where he remained for the duration of the war.  The ship sailed in the Pacific and was used to transport troops but especially complete support units with their equipment. Such as mechanics  travelling to an island in the Pacific together with their airplanes etc. As such the ship was never exposed to much warfare as it mostly carried supporting troops and units following the initial assault waves.

The ms Noordam (II) was brought into the 2nd world war as a troopship with a large cargo capacity. She was mainly used in the Pacific War theatre. (b)

On 01 August. 1945 he is assigned as 2nd officer to the ss Jan van Goyen, a Dutch Government ship bought with the intention to forward it eventually to a Dutch company to replace tonnage lost in the war. He took the train from New York to somewhere in Canada and joined the ship on August 03. It is asumed that he eventually returned it to the Netherlands with this ship.

This photo shows him on board the ss Noordam (II) as 2nd officer.

Some of the officers of the ms Noordam (II). Dirk Bak is standing in the top row middle. (Photo courtesy: the estate of  Capt. A.M van Gemert., seen here in lower row center as 3rd. Officer)

His war records also indicated that he was married at the time with Mrs. Leentje Bak -nee Nuis living at  Prins Hendriklaan 22 in Vlaaringen and whom he sents a monthly allotment of  Dutch fl. 140,– a month. One child, Dirkje (born 28 Nov. 1938) is also noted.

GAP in assignments from 1945 to 1956. (From 1937 onwards the sailing records are with the Holland Amerca Line pension fund, who does not give access to historians)

The company’s New York  magazine (NASM news) published a photo in 1953 with the ships staff of the ss Veendam (II) being on her last voyage. Dirk Bak is noted as Chief Officer.

The ss Blommersdyk (II) was the last of the surviving B-class ships from 1922. The ship was sold to Italy in 1957 and scrapped in 1959. (b)

On 30 March 1956 he was promoted to captain with an assignment to the ss Blommerdyk (II). In accordance with company policy the most Jr. captain started out on the oldest ship.  Then he rotated over the fleet sailing on the ms Soestdyk (II), the ms Sommelsdyk (III), and the ss Axeldyk and the ss Aalsdyk.  In 1959 he is transferred to the West coast fleet and sails on the Dalerdyk, Dongedyk, Dinteldyk (II) and Diemerdyk.

The ms Dongedyk had been built in 1929 as the ms Delftdyk. After the war she had been so drastically rebuilt that the compay gave her a new name. She could carry 52 passengers in First Class. (b)

On 27 April 1961 he briefly made the newspapers when his ship, the ms Dongedyk, hauled up an old sea anchor in Departure Bay on the West coast of Canada. The anchor is kept on board and it is decided to donate it to an elementary school in Callandtsoog, a school who had adopted the ship under the NEVAS system.. The old anchor, belonging to a sailing ship from the 1800s, was placed in the school yard. (ED 2025: it is unknown if it is still there as the school seems to have been moved)

This photo shows Captain Bak shaking hands with the head teacher C.A van der Haar, and some of the pupils while visiting the ss Dongedyk, while in port in Rotterdam, with the anchor still on board.

He was also in command of the ms Kloosterdyk in 1962 when this cargo ship made one west coast voyage. This was most likely to see if the use of  K class ships would work on this service but as no other K-ships were ever assigned on a regular schedule, the experiment was probably not a success.

GAP in assignements . We have no records yet of his asisgnments between Septermber 1964 and Spring.1967.

In 1968, with the demise of the D-ships, he is assigned to the K-class ships sailing to the Gulf of Mexico. ms Korendyk, ms Kamperdyk followed by the ms Moerdyk (II). Then by 1973 he is on the G-ships, the ms Gorredyk (II)  and the Grebbedyk.

The ms Grebbedyk was one of a series of 4 purpose built cargo ships especially designed for the Gulf of Mexico service. (b)

By late 1973 the records stop.

ED: I have no information yet of when he retired and when he passed away.

IF THERE IS ANY FAMILY OR RELATIVES WHO READ THIS BIOGRAPHY AND WANT TO HELP WITH COMPLETING THE STORY, EITHER WITH INFORMATION OR ANECDOTES, PLEASE CONTACT ME ON Captalbert1@aol.com. YOUR HELP WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

Sailing List; (a)

Date:                     Function:                             Ship:                                      Wages and/or remarks.

12 Oct.1934       Cadet                                    Deucalion (Capt. Mulder)   to Mediteranean and Adriatic

until 02 Dec. 1934

21 Dec.1934      Cadet                                     Cottica                                 to West Indies and new York

until 02 Mar.1935

24 May.1935      Cadet                                    Cottica                                 to West Indies and New York

until 01 Aug. 1935

09 Aug. 1935        Cadet                                  Cottica                                  to West Indies and New York

until 17 Oct. 1935

25 Nov. 1935         Cadet                                  Cottica                                 to West Indies and New York

until 02 Jan. 1936

Obtained 3rd mates license on 22 April 1936 and is dismissed with good marks from the Academy.

Joined the Holland America Line as 4th. officer on 7 May 1937

Date:                     Function:                             Ship:                                      Wages and/or remarks.

07 May. 1937      4th. officer                           Maasdam                         92,–

26 Jun. 1937        4th. officer                           Bilderdijk                           92,–

28 Jun. 1937        4th. officer                           Maasdam                            92,–

01 Oct. 1937        according to new arrangements                             102,–

05 Oct. 1937        4th. officer                           Blommersdijk                    102,–

GAP. In 1937 the company switched over to a new administration system and these papers are kept by the Holland America Line pension fund and are not accessible for research.

04 Apr. 1940           3rd. Officer                          Volendam                        146,– Until 28 Feb. 1942

In between voyages he passes his exam for 2nd mate on 06 april 1941.

01 Mar. 1942           3rd. Officer                          Noordam                          148,–Until  08 April 1942.

09 Apr. 1942           2nd Officer                             Noordam                          194,– Until 15 May. 1945 disembarked at San Francisco.  Send to New York.

26 Jul. 1945               2nd Officer                            Noordam                         232,– Rejoins at New York but is transferred a few days later.

01 Aug. 1945           2nd Officer                           Jan van Goyen (Relief officer not owned by HAL. Takes the train to Canada and joins on Aug. 03.

28 Dec. 1945           2nd Officer                        Blommersdyk                232,–

GAP.

xx. Oct 1953            Chief Officer                       Veendam    until 15 Nov. 1953 (last voyage)

30 Mar.1955           Captain                                Blommersdyk

11 Feb. 1956           Captain                                Sommelsdyk

21 Jul. 1956              Captain                               Soestdyk

16 Sep. 1957            Captain                              Axeldyk

30 Nov. 1957           Captain                              Soestdyk

28 Apr. 1958            Captain                              Aalsdyk

17 May 1959            Captain                             Dalerdyk

02 Oct. 1960           Captain                              Dongedyk

29 Jun. 1961            Captain                              Diemerdyk

28 Dec. 1961           Captain                               Kloosterdyk

05 Jun. 1962             Captain                               Dongedyk

13 Feb. 1963             Captain                                Diemerdyk

28 Aug, 1964            Captain                               Dinteldyk

GAP

03 Jun. 1967             Captain                               Diemerdyk

28 Feb. 1968            Captain                                 Korendyk

26 Dec. 1969            Captain                                Kamperdyk

30 Jan. 1972             Captain                                 Moerdyk

11 Jan. 1973             Captain                                Katsedyk

08 Jun. 1973            Captain                               Gorredyk

14 Aug. 1973           Captain                                Grebbedyk

End of company records.

GAP.

Captain Bak would have reached the mandatory pension age in 1976.

Sources:

a. comportementen boeken of the Kweekschool voor de Zeevaart as held by the Archives of the city of Amsterdam.

b. Authors Archive for collected information and photos.

c. 2nd world war personell records Dutch Government London.

d. Stamboek & Mouvement boeken from the HAL archive as held by the Municipel archives of the City of Rotterdam.

Last updated: 23 November 2025