Menu for the hospital ship ORANJE

Publisher Nederland Line [Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland] (1870 - 1970)

Date5 December 1941

Object number00051753

NameMenu

MediumPaper

DimensionsOverall: 186 x 110 mm

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionThis ship's menu from the World War II hospital ship ORANJE is signed AR Cutler Lieut VC; WJ Box L/Gnr; Ellis A Wall 2/3 Btn; and AG Oldham.HistoryArthur Roden Cutler began his military service in 1939 in the Sydney University Regiment. He joined the second AIF six months later, enlisting on 13 May 1940, in 2/5th Australian Field Regiment. He was awarded the Victoria Cross on 28 November 1941, for his actions between 19 June to 6 July 1941 at Merdjayoun-Damour area, Syria. Cutler was actually on board the hospital ship ORANJE being repatriated back to Australia following an injury and subsequent leg amputation, when he discovered that he had won the Victoria Cross, hearing it over the radio. Arthur Roden Cutler was the only Australian artillery officer to win the award. Following his celebrated return to Australia in late 1941, he joined the public service and pursued a diplomatic career for many years. In December 1965 he was knighted, and in January 1966 he was sworn in as Governor of NSW. He served in this position for 15 years. The Dutch liner MS ORANJE, later known as MS ANGELINA LAURO, was completed in early 1939 but its maiden voyage was disrupted by the outbreak of WWII in September of that year. In early 1941 the ship was offered to the Australian and New Zealand governments as a hospital ship, and conversion work was quickly carried out both in Jakarta (Batavia) and in Sydney, with conversion costs borne by the Dutch government. The vessel was the fastest hospital ship in the world at the time, and during its career completed 41 war voyages, transporting Australian and New Zealand sick and wounded troops plus prisoners of war, from the European, Pacific and Middle Eastern fronts. During its conversion to a hospital ship it was painted with green stripes and red crosses on its white hull.