Editorial: Who is against posthumously awarding the commendation?

Mystery over robo-call that asks about Teddy Sheean

Fresh review of Victoria Cross decision for war hero Teddy Sheean

Sheean’s actions during World War II in 1942 were described by Dr Leonard as the bravest act he had ever seen.

He expressed surprise and disappointment the Federal Government had knocked back a recommendation from the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal — to whom he made a submission in 2017 — to award Sheean the VC.

But with a fresh review into the case giving supporters new hope, he said he would be “over the moon” if a decision was made to grant the honour and finally bring “justice for Teddy”.

THE DAY

Dr Leonard was serving alongside Sheean when the Armidale came under sustained attack from the Japanese in the Timor Sea.

They were teenagers when they joined the Navy in June 1942 and the vessel was on a three-ship mission to Timor and the Armidale initially emerged unscathed from the attacks in the preceding days.

But on December 1, 1942, Dr Leonard said the Japanese “meant business”.

“They quickly dispatched us to the bottom,” he said.

“The order was given almost immediately to abandon ship and we set about doing that promptly.

“I swam as fast as I could for a short time, stopped, turned around and looked just to see the stern of the ship disappearing beneath the water and no sign of any man on it at that point.”

Dr Leonard said as he was swimming away from the ship, he could not only hear Japanese gunfire, but also the distinctive sound of the ship’s Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun firing.

It was only when Dr Leonard swam to safety that he began to understand how Sheean’s heroic actions had helped save their lives.

SHEEAN’S BRAVERY

Dr Leonard said when the Japanese planes departed, he saw his shipmate, Ordinary Seaman Russell Caro, who described to him Sheean’s actions.

Caro and other members of the group told him Sheean had stayed with his gun and kept firing until he went down with the ship.

Dr Leonard said he was staggered to hear the accounts of his shipmates that Sheean had made the ultimate sacrifice which directed gunfire away from them.

“I found it almost unbelievable when they told me they saw him go back to his gun and then go down with it,’’ he said.

“My goodness, I could never have done that. That was an incredible and heroic thing to do.

“This was the conversation [between us] really off and on ... what motivated such heroism which we thought individually we didn’t possess.”

THE CHARACTER

Sheean was a “most likeable young chap”, according to Dr Leonard.

“He wasn’t the quietest man on board. In fact, he was just the opposite,” he said.

“He tended to be quite emotional and outward looking, laughed very often, often with a loud and joyous voice. He was a little bit outgoing rather than introverted.

“Teddy was, if not my closest friend, certainly a very friendly shipmate, and I had incredibly strong feelings towards him and his heroism.”

THE VICTORIA CROSS

In Dr Leonard’s mind, there is no doubt Sheean deserves the rarely awarded VC.

“I’m surprised and very disappointed [that he hasn’t],” he said.

“I could only think what more could he have done to deserve it? And the answer is nothing. He deserves it.”

Dr Leonard — who went on to become the chief psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs — said it was the bravest act he saw during his time in the Navy.

“I read about VCs over the years and I always thought they deserved their VC, but I asked myself, how much short of bravery was Sheean?” he said.

“And I couldn’t answer, he was every bit as brave. He thoroughly deserves the greatest honour that could be bestowed.”

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NEW HOPE

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement of a fresh review into the case has offered renewed hope that Sheean — almost 80 years after his heroic feats — could finally be honoured.

“It would be the most wonderful news, it really would,” Dr Leonard said.

“I’m an optimistic person and I’ve always felt one way or another, it will happen.

“I know I’m the last survivor but I really hope that for Teddy, and on behalf of all the other shipmates, that justice may be about to be done.”

In your Sunday Tasmanian tomorrow: The arguments for and against Teddy Sheean being awarded a Victoria Cross.