Editorial: Wrong call by the top brass

The Prime Minister should do what is right, no matter how uncomfortable it might get. Teddy Sheean put a lot more on the line when he died saving his mates.

A painting of Ordinary Seaman Edward Sheean on the HMAS Armidale shooting at attacking Japanese bombers.

THE extraordinary intervention by Australia’s Defence Force chief Angus Campbell in the bid to grant a posthumous Victoria Cross to Ordinary Seaman Edward “Teddy” Sheean is a slap in the face for all those fighting to have the Tasmanian war hero’s amazing act of bravery finally recognised.

Once again, the 18-year-old has been dudded by the top brass.

SHEEAN VC PUSH COULD OFFEND THE QUEEN

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean saved the lives of dozens of his crewmates.

As revealed in today’s Mercury, General Campbell wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester to “strongly advise” against pushing for Sheean to receive the top military honour for valour.

General Campbell argues the move would set a precedent which would open the floodgates for other families to push for their relatives to receive higher military honours and put the Queen in a difficult position.

“Doing so may well damage Australia’s standing among other Commonwealth countries, and potentially with the Queen herself,” he wrote.

Really? Does he actually believe Australia’s push to honour a war hero would undermine our strong relationships with Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand and Canada? Does he truly think that Her Majesty would think less of us for recommending a young soldier, who sacrificed himself for his mates, receive the top military award for bravery? What a lot of mumbo jumbo.

It would be surprising if our 94-year-old monarch spent much time at all in giving her royal approval on honours granted in her name, or the name of her great-great-grandmother.

This is the same Queen who has rubber stamped many honours across the Commonwealth, including knighthoods for cricketers and rock stars. Even if she did “take a personal interest”, as General Campbell suggests, so what? Australia should be proud to argue its case in such a worthy fight.

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Perhaps the only reasonable argument is the fear that a successful bid might encourage other families to fight for similar awards for other veterans.

Well, good luck to them. Relatives and supporters have been fighting for more than a decade to have Teddy Sheean’s courage recognised. They have carefully gathered evidence and jumped through countless hoops to get as far as they have. And the case for Sheean to receive a VC is undeniably strong.

His heroic act, where he strapped himself to a gun on the deck of the HMAS Armidale as it sunk in the Timor Sea, firing at Japanese planes, saved the lives of dozens of his crewmates.

It has been corroborated by survivors. An independent panel which reviewed the case found new evidence to support the push. What’s the point of that panel’s findings if they can be simply vetoed?

Some could argue that Mr Morrison has been caught in the crossfire and is simply following the advice of his highest military commander in rejecting Sheean’s VC recommendation.

But this is where good leaders step up. The Prime Minister should do what is right, no matter how uncomfortable it might get. Teddy Sheean put a lot more on the line when he died saving his mates.