LEWIS, Dr Tom

Honour Denied. Teddy Sheean. A Tasmanian Hero... [With Reference to Some] Other Brave Warriors of the Royal Australian Navy

Kent Town, Avonmore Books, 2016 (first edition).

Quarto, 316 pages with numerous maps and illustrations (many from photographs, many in colour).

Laminated colour pictorial card covers; a fine copy.

Able Seaman Edward Sheean was serving on the newly-commissioned HMAS 'Armidale' when she was returning to Darwin from Timor after performing escort duties. 'Shortly before 14:00 on 1 December 1942 "Armidale" ... was attacked by no less than thirteen aircraft. The corvette manoeuvred frantically. At 15:15 a torpedo struck her port side and another hit the engineering spaces; finally a bomb struck aft. As the vessel listed heavily to port, the order was given to abandon ship. The survivors leapt into the sea and were machine-gunned by the Japanese aircraft. Once he had helped to free a life raft, Sheean scrambled back to his gun on the sinking ship. Although wounded in the chest and back, the 18-year-old sailor shot down one bomber and kept other aircraft away from his comrades in the water. He was seen still firing his gun as "Armidale" slipped below the waves. Only 49 of the 149 men who had been on board survived the sinking and the ensuing days in life rafts.... In 2020, following a sustained public campaign to have Ordinary Seaman Sheean's selfless actions appropriately recognised, an expert panel recommended to the Australian Government that he be considered for the the award of a Victoria Cross. On 12 August 2020 the Australian Governor General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley, AC, DSC, (Retd) announced that HM Queen Elizabeth II had approved a posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Ordinary Seaman Sheean. In doing so, Ordinary Seaman "Teddy" Sheean, became the first member of the Royal Australian Navy to be awarded Australia's highest honour for valour' (RAN website).

Item #104894

Price (AUD): $50.00
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