Goya Dmytryshchak
The family of Australian war hero Edward ’Teddy’ Sheean visited Williamstown on Monday to present his Victoria Cross replica medal to the HMAS Castlemaine ship museum.
Sheean was last December awarded a posthumous VC, 78 years to the day he died heroically in battle when the HMAS Armidale was sunk by Japanese bombers in the Timor sea in World War II.
Defying orders to abandon ship, Sheean had strapped himself to the ship’s anti-aircraft gun as the vessel went down.
He is credited with saving 49 crew member’s lives and shooting down at least one aircraft.
His family had long campaigned for Sheean to receive Australia’s highest military honour and he is the first Navy crew member be awarded a VC.
Sheean’s nephew Gerry Sheean said it had been important to gift replicas of his uncle’s VC and service medals to the floating museum for people to see forever.
“It’s important that we keep his story going as far as we can,“ he said.
“It’s been an emotional train ride.
“When I was very young, my father used to say that Teddy was the bravest naval person in World War II.
“I hope now, that with the VC, we can put things to rest. It’s been a long journey.“
He said it was also “tremendous recognition“ for the Royal Australian Navy to have named a Collins class submarine, HMAS Sheean.
Andrew Campbell, secretary of the Maritime Trust of Australia which operates the Castlemaine, said the replica medal was an valued addition to the museum’s collection.
“The two corvettes, HMASs Castlemaine and Armidale, were in company off the coast of Timor on a mission to resupply the Australian Army 2/2 Independent Company,“ he said.
“Castlemaine was diverted from the mission to search for RAAF aircrew from a crashed Beaufighter 150 miles away, a few hours before the Japanese bombers attacked Armidale on December 1, 1942.
“Teddy was serving on the Armidale when the ship was repeatedly attacked.
“As the ship was sinking, ’abandon ship’ was ordered.
“Teddy took up and fired an Oerlikon canon at Japanese aircraft, which were firing on his fellow crew members in the water.
“Teddy went down with the ship while still engaging the aircraft, sacrificing his life for his shipmates.
“He was 18 years old.“
