I will not ever give up: Hero’s nephew to take Teddy Sheean VC plea to Prince Harry

GARRY Ivory hopes Prince Harry may be the key to finally getting Teddy Sheean awarded a Victoria Cross.

Garry Ivory who is leading a campaign to get a posthumous VC for his uncle Tedddy Sheean.

GARRY Ivory is hoping Britain’s Prince Harry may be the key to finally getting his uncle Teddy Sheean posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross.

Seaman Sheean died in 1942 trying to save his shipmates who were being strafed by Japanese fighters as they abandoned their sinking corvette.

For the past 26 years, Mr Ivory, of Launceston, has been fighting for recognition of his uncle’s bravery.

After gaining support from both sides of politics over the decades, Mr Ivory’s hopes were raised when the Sheean case was one of 13 considered by an independent tribunal inquiry into gallantry awards in 2013.

Those hopes were dashed when the Australian Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal dismissed the bid for the posthumous award after concluding that although Sheean had showed conspicuous gallantry, he had not reached the particularly high standard required for a VC.

Mr Ivory said because of that decision there were no further avenues of appeal available and the Federal Government, including Tasmania’s federal representatives, had lost interest.

‘I will not ever give up — Teddy never gave up and neither will I. I believe this has been a grave injustice and it must be righted’

“But I am going to try to get information about Teddy to Prince Harry when he visits Australia this month,” Mr Ivory said.

“Hopefully, if we can get the information direct to Buckingham Palace and circumvent the Australian system, we may be able to get something happening.”

Dale Marsh’s painting immortalising Teddy Sheean’s heroic act in 1942. Picture: AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

Mr Ivory said at the time of his uncle’s brave deeds in 1942, defence awards were made under the imperial honours system managed by Buckingham Palace.

“In 1990 Australia introduced its own honour system which has decided not to recognise Teddy,” Mr Ivory said.

“I am hoping that if we can get Prince Harry, himself a serving military officer, interested in Teddy’s case we may be able to get something happening through the imperial system.”

‘He could have escaped, but instead chose to protect his shipmates and I think that makes his actions even more heroic’

Mr Ivory said regardless of how he fared with Prince Harry he would never stop fighting for the medal he believed his uncle was due.

“I will not ever give up — Teddy never gave up and neither will I,” he said.

“I believe this has been a grave injustice and it must be righted — not just for Teddy but also for the Armidale survivors who all thought he should have been awarded the Victoria Cross. I don’t want to let them down either.

“And one of the things that particularly upsets my family is that a British seaman, Jack Mantle, was awarded the VC for his valour in firing his gun right to the end when a swarm of Nazi Stukas attacked his anti-aircraft ship, HMS Foylebank, in the English harbour of Portland even though he was mortally wounded.

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean.

“The only difference in Teddy’s case is that he wasn’t wounded when he went back to his gun, he could have escaped, but instead chose to protect his shipmates and I think that makes his actions even more heroic.”

Mr Ivory said despite the disinterest of the Federal Government there was still plenty of things happening to progress the campaign.

“Country singer Lee Kernaghan has just released a song written in tribute to Teddy and that is making a huge difference in getting the story out there,” Mr Ivory said.

“On May 5 a story I filmed with Tony Robinson from the History Channel will be aired globally and later that month a book about Teddy will be published.

“So in one way we have succeeded because everyone in Australia, and soon around the globe, knows Teddy’s story but I don’t intend to stop until Teddy gets the medal he deserves.”

Supporters have campaigned for decades for Sheean to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

Sheean was honoured by the Royal Australian Navy when a Collins Class submarine was named after him. It was the first time a RAN vessel had been named after an ordinary seaman.

[e-mail]