Edward (Teddy) Sheean
Ordinary Seaman, Royal Australian Naval Reserve, HMAS Armidale (Bathurst-class corvette)
- Award
- Victoria Cross for Australia (posthumous, retrospective)
- Rank
- Ordinary Seaman, Royal Australian Naval Reserve all Ordinary Seamans →
- Unit
- HMAS Armidale (Bathurst-class corvette) all HMAS Armidale (Bathurst-class corvette) VCs →
- Date of action
- 1 December 1942, Timor Sea, off Betano Bay, Timor on this day → all of 1942 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War (Pacific)
- London Gazette
- 12 August 2020 on this day → all of 2020 →
- Born
- 28 December 1923 at Lower Barrington, Tasmania, Australia
- Died
- 1 December 1942 at Timor Sea (lost with HMAS Armidale, aged 18)
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- No known grave; commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial (UK) and at the Teddy Sheean Memorial and Sheean Walk, Latrobe, Tasmania. Submarine HMAS Sheean named for him.
- Medal held by
- Family / Australian War Memorial - not confirmed
- Investiture
- 1 December 2020, Government House, Canberra, by Governor-General David Hurley to his nephew Garry Ivory
Summary of the action
On 1 December 1942 the corvette HMAS Armidale was bombed and torpedoed by Japanese aircraft in the Timor Sea and the order was given to abandon ship. Sheean, already wounded, helped free a life raft and then, instead of leaving, strapped himself into the aft Oerlikon gun and fired at the aircraft that were strafing men in the water. He shot down one bomber and damaged others, and was still firing as the ship sank beneath him. Survivors credited him with saving many lives. Originally mentioned in despatches, his award was upgraded to the VC for Australia in 2020 after a long campaign.
A summary in our own words; the official citation can be read in The London Gazette (link below).
Awarded after Alf's death. This entry was compiled by his family in 2026 from public sources so that the register remains complete. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, memorialstovalour.co.uk, victoriacross.org.uk
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: No known grave; commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial (UK) and at the Teddy Sheean Memorial and Sheean Walk, Latrobe, Tasmania. Submarine HMAS Sheean named for him.
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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