Petition launch for Teddy Sheean Victoria Cross

“Fight on” say campaign team

Monday 18 March 2013

A petition has been launched in support of a posthumous Victoria Cross for ordinary seaman Teddy Sheean.

“We want justice for Teddy and we will ‘fight on’ said Mr Garry Ivory, nephew of Teddy Sheean representing the Sheean family supporters and friends.

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal denied a Victoria Cross to Teddy Sheean and twelve other men nominated for their acts of valour and following a lengthy inquiry.

“The Tribunal report was flawed, said Mr Guy Barnett, former Senator who has lobbied for the Victoria Cross for Teddy Sheean for years.

“The Tribunal report should now be set aside and the Government should review the matter to ensure appropriate recognition is granted to Teddy Sheean and any others deserving, Mr Barnett said.

“We hope the petition will send a strong message that the Tribunal got it wrong and Teddy deserves this honour.”

“The Tribunal said that Teddy’s acts were ‘conspicuous gallantry’ but not good enough to be granted a Victoria Cross. How much is required then? He gave up his life for his mates and his country. It is that simple, said Mr Ivory.

“We believe the evidence to the Tribunal was overwhelming but they had their minds made up at the outset.

Independent adult witnesses saw the event and testified to his courage and bravery, Mr Ivory and Mr Barnett said.

Ordinary Seaman Sheean, seeing his mates in distress and being shot at, returned to his Oerlikon gun, strapped himself in, and began firing at the Japanese aircraft and attracting enemy fire. He reportedly shot down at least one Japanese Zero in his efforts. Witnesses report that tracer fire could still be seen leaving the gun after she sunk below the waves. Sheean would have known his fate when he returned to his gun but in an act of conspicuous bravery offered up his life for his mates and his country. He was not yet 19 years.

“The Sheean family friends and supporters are committed to fight on. We are now building up a campaign team and have established a ‘Teddy Sheean VC Award Fight’ Facebook page. We also have other ideas to get our points across.

“We will be writing to the Prime Minister Hon Julia Gillard asking that the Tribunal Report be set aside and that the Government ensures appropriate recognition is granted as soon as possible especially for Teddy Sheean as we believe and know he deserves a VC, said both Mr Garry Ivory and Mr Guy Barnett.

“We will also write to the Opposition Leader Hon Tony Abbott asking that if in government they also set it aside and ensure a proper review.

“We hope to collect as many petitions as possible in the lead up to ANZAC day and then will ensure the petitions are tabled in the May session of federal Parliament,” they said.

“I am still hoping to insert a new chapter on Teddy Sheean in the book Our Heroes, Tasmania’s Victoria Cross Recipients which I edited and produced with the Tasmanian RSL. (Now in its third edition – Tasmania has 13 of the 99 Victoria Cross recipients in Australia), said Guy Barnett.

“We will not give up. We will fight on.” they concluded.

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean- a selfless act

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean was born in Lower Barrington, Tasmania on 28 December 1923. His family soon moved to Latrobe and he was educated at the local Catholic school and worked as a farm labourer until he enlisted in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve at 17 years. In June 1942 he was posted to the HMAS Armidale as an Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun loader.

The Japanese were moving south ferocious and fast and on 1 December 1942 the Armidale, then in the Timor sea just north of Australia, came under repeated attack by at least 13 Japanese aircraft. By 3.15pm the Armidale had been struck by two aerial torpedoes and began to sink, an event that would take less than 5 minutes. Lieutenant Commander David Richards ordered the ship to be abandoned. Out of the 149 on board, only 49 would be rescued from the water.

As the ship was sinking, and the survivors in the water tried to board life-rafts, the Japanese aircraft continued to strafe the men in the water. Ordinary Seaman Sheean possibly already wounded, and seeing his mates in distress and being shot at, returned to his Oerlikon gun, strapped himself in, and began firing at the Japanese aircraft and attracting enemy fire. He reportedly shot down at least one Japanese Zero in his efforts. Witnesses report that tracer fire could still be seen leaving the gun after she sunk below the waves. Sheean would have known his fate when he returned to his gun but in an act of conspicuous bravery offered up his life for his mates and his country. He was not yet 19 years. (There is a well-known painting at the Australian War Memorial which commemorates this incident and a submarine named in his honour.)

Download petitiion:
Teddy_Sheean_Petition_2013.pdf
Garry Ivory, Guy Barnett