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| Burns Philp & Co. Ltd. Motor Vessel 2,281 Tons  Burns Philp circa 1939  Burns Philp 1940  RAAF Nov 7, 1942 |
Ship History Built by the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company in Hong Kong. Launched in 1939. Purchased by Burns Philp & Company Ltd. and named MV Tulagi in honor of Tulagi Island. Manned by a crew of twelve Australians plus thirty-two Malay and Chinese crew. Prewar, operated between Sydney, the Pacific Islands including New Guinea and the west coast of North America. Afterwards joined MV Montoro operating a run between Sydney via Port Moresby to Darwin. Wartime History During 1940, MV Tulagi was in the vicinity of a German commerce raider and was kept under surveillance by a float plane but was never attacked. On December 5, 1941 departs Sydney and travels via Brisbane and Cairns before arriving at Darwin. At the start of the Pacific War, MV Tulagi was pressed into service with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as part of a convoy transporting troops and supplies to "Sparrow Force" on Timor. The convoy departed on February 15, 1942 departs as part of a convoy with USAT Meigs, USAT Mauna Loa and USS Portmar transporting troops from the US Army 148th Field Artillery escorted by USS Houston, USS Peary, HMAS Warrego and HMAS Swan. On February 16, 1942 the convoy was attacked by Japanese planes and aborts the mission. On February 18, 1942 in the afternoon returns to Darwin Harbor. On February 19, 1942 in Darwin Harbor during the Japanese air raid by Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) carrier planes. Because of the troops aboard, Captain Thompson grounded the ship into a mud bank north of Harper's Folly and south of Sweir's Bluff allowing the crew and passengers to disembark, although the area was crocodile infested. During the air raid the ship sustained only minor superficial damage. After the raid, Captain Thompson and the Chief Engineer Mr. J. R. Ward went back on board and with the help of others floated the vessel and made repairs. The crew plus volunteers from MV Neptuna and MV British Motorist departed Darwin bound for Sydney, arriving 19 days later. During the remainder of 1942 until 1944 transported supplies and troops from Australia to the South Pacific. During February 1944, returned to the United Kingdom Department of Defense to join the Royal Navy Fleet Train. On March 10, 1944 departed Sydney with Captain L. W. Millar in command bound for Colombo on Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Aboard were fifty-four passengers including the crew of 16 Europeans, 26 Indians, 7 Malays and five RAN gunners. The ship traveled southward along the coast of New South Wales via the Bass Strait then around Cape Leuwin. The weather was fine with calm seas. On March 27, 1944 in the Indian Ocean spotted by German Submarine U-532 and tracked. Sinking History On March 28, 1944 at 1:00am hit by two torpedoes fired by U-532 on the starboard side between the No. 3 hatch and the engine room. In only twenty seconds, the ship sank stern first, then rolled over onto the starboard side. Thirty-nine crew went down with the ship. Fates of the Crew The survivors took to life rafts including the Chief Engineer, 2nd Mate, 3rd Mate, Purser, Deck Cadet, 3rd Engineer, the 5 Naval gunners 3 Malays and 1 Indian. Over the next several days, an unknown submarine followed and observed the life rafts. Their fate began one of the most epic drifts of survival. On April 21, 1944 twenty four days after the sinking, the fifteen were split into two raft groups, seven on one, eight on the other. On April 30, 1944 the survivors saw smoke from a ship on the horizon. The ship passed at about 5:00pm without seeing them. Around this time, the rope connecting the rafts rotted and caused them to separate. One of these rafts was never seen nor heard from again and no evidence was found of survivors. On May 25, 1944 (fifty-eight days after the sinking) the remaining raft with seven aboard saw white gulls and at 11:10pm the seven landed at Bijoutier Island in the Seychelle Islands. The seven survivors were: 1) John R. T. Ward, Chief Engineer Officer, earned Order of the British Empire (OBE) 2) Richard T. Charles, 2nd Officer, earned Member Order of the British Empire (MBE) 3) Dudley G. S. Jacobs, Purser, , earned Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) 4) Ali Bin Sarawee, Quartermaster, earned British Empire Medal (BEM) 5) Bahu Mian, Fireman, earned British Empire Medal (BEM) 6) Abdul Bhooya, Fireman, earned British Empire Medal (BEM) 7) ? Rescue At daylight two boats approached and the survivors were taken back to a small village and fed and clothed for fourteen days. On June 12, 1944 the survivors were transported to Mahe on Victoria Island then taken by ship to Bombay then departed for Melbourne then by train to Sydney arriving July 31, 1944. References Some sources list this vessel incorrectly as Steam Ship Tulagi (SS Tulagi) The MV Tulagi's Log Mercantile Navy - Burns Philp Shipping Company - MV Tulagi via WayBack Machine October 15, 2013 AWM PR00072 Burns Philp and Company Ltd account of the activity of three vessels (AWM371 92/0323) Passengers In History - Tulagi Merchant Ships of Australia in World War II - Burns, Philp & Company Limited "Tulagi / 1939 / 2281 / 1939-1944" "Tulagi was sunk in the Indian Ocean on 27 March 1944 with the loss of forty-seven lives" Merchant Ships of Australia in World War II - Tulagi (Burns Philp) Contribute
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