Edward Sheean
| Edward "Teddy" Sheean | |
|---|---|
Teddy Sheean c.1941
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| Born | 28 December 1923 Lower Barrington, Tasmania |
| Died | 1 December 1942 (aged 18) Arafura Sea |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Royal Australian Naval Reserve |
| Years of service | 1941–42 |
| Rank | Ordinary Seaman |
| Unit | HMAS Armidale |
| Battles/wars |
Second World War |
| Awards | Mention in Despatches |
Second World War
Edward "Teddy" Sheean (28 December 1923 – 1 December 1942) was a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War. Born in Tasmania, Sheean was employed as a farm labourer when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in April 1941. Following training at HMAS Derwent and the Flinders Naval Depot, he was posted to Sydney, where he joined the newly commissioned corvette HMAS Armidale in June 1942. Sheean served aboard Armidale as she initially took part in escort duties along the eastern Australian coast and in New Guinea waters, before he transferred with the ship to Darwin in October, where Armidale was tasked with assisting Australian operations in Timor.
On 29 November 1942, Armidale set out for an operation to Betano, Timor, along with HMAS Castlemaine. The two ships were attacked by Japanese aircraft along the way, and were subsequently late in arriving at their destination, missing a planned rendezvous with HMAS Kuru. While returning to Darwin, the pair encountered Kuru south of Betano and it was decided by Castlemaine's commanding officer—as the senior officer—that Armidale and Kuru should voyage to Betano. The two ships undertook different routes to Betano, during which both vessels came under aerial assault.
During a subsequent confrontation with thirteen Japanese aircraft on 1 December, Armidale was struck by two torpedoes and a bomb, and began to sink; the order to abandon ship was given. After helping to free a life-raft, Sheean was wounded by two bullets. He made his way to the aft Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and began to fire on the Japanese aircraft to protect those in the water. Sheean managed to shoot down one of the Japanese bombers, but was killed when Armidale sank. Many of the survivors credited their lives to Sheean and he was posthumously mentioned in despatches. In 1999, the submarine HMAS Sheean was named in his honour, and efforts have been made to have Sheean belatedly awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia.
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