Convoy and patrol honours Board November 1939 to December 1946 for HMS BULOLO

Date1939-1946

Object number00031340

NameHonours roll

MediumWood, paint

DimensionsOverall: 760 x 1110 mm, 2.9 kg

ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionThis honour's roll records the convoy and patrol honours of HMS BULOLO between November 1939 and December 1946. It consists of a silky oak frame and plywood infill with mahogany type veneerm with a description of the ship's service including its time in various theatres of war, the date and the flag officer.HistoryMV BULOLO was launched on 31 May 1938 at Glasgow, Scotland. It was ordered by Burns, Philp & Co, who used the vessel to fulfill their mail service contract with the Australian government. It visited many ports in Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands. BULOLO ran 8 trips as a merchant vessel before being commissioned into the Merchant Navy on 22 September 1939 to serve as a convoy escort. In 1942 BULOLO was made into a Landing Ship Headquarters and a communication centre for the Allies in Algiers, Sicily, Anzio and Normandy. BULOLO was eventually handed back to Burns, Philp & Co in 1948 and was once more used as the Commonwealth's mail service. It also ran as a passenger liner accommodating over 200 guests with luxuries including a cinema, stateroom and glass deck swimming pool. For 20 years it was the largest liner to travel between Australia and Papua New Guinea on a regular basis. In January 1968 Burns, Philp & Co sold the vessel to Chinese buyers who scrapped it in May 1968. Burns, Philp & Co Ltd became incorporated in 1883. Their previous operations included running small stores on Queensland's Gympie goldfields and shipping goods between Brisbane and Sydney. The company went on to run a variety of shipping activities and constructed a number of plantations and trade networks in the Pacific. By the 1920s Burns Philp was a household name and they operated a fleet of large main-line ships in conjunction with a fleet of smaller inter-island ships. In the interwar period of the 20th century they became an established name in Australia and their ships were clearly recognisable by the Scotch Thistle flag. Burns, Philp & Co operated on the Australian Stock Exchange until December 2006 when it was divided and sold.SignificanceThis roll is representative of HMS BULOLO and the service of its crew during World War II.