Ordinary Seaman EDWARD "TEDDY" SHEEAN -Heroism Unmatched! From: RAN History - Personnel (Sea Power Centre - Australia) By J.H. Straczek Who was Teddy Sheean? Edward "Teddy" Sheean was in many ways an ordinary Australian. Born on 28 December 1923 at Barrington Tasmania. His family subsequently moved to Latrobe and it was here that he attended the local Catholic School. As was common at this time, he received only a basic education before starting to work with his father as a carpenter and wood cutter. With the Second World War raging in Europe and the Middle East and the possibility of war with Japan Teddy Sheean did what many young Australians did, he volunteered to serve his country. On 21 April 1941 Teddy Sheean enlisted into the Royal Australian Navy as an Ordinary Seaman. He was initially attached to HMAS DERWENT, the naval depot at Hobart. Whilst attached to DERWENT he served onboard the auxiliary minesweeper HMAS COOMBAR. On his 18 birthday he joined HMAS CERBERUS, at Western Port Victoria, to undertake further training. From CERBERUS he was posted to HMAS PENGUIN, joining on 11 May 1942. Whilst at PENGUIN he was posted to the new Bathurst Class corvette HMAS ARMIDALE. He helped commission the ship and on completion of her work ups commenced operations along the east coast. On 22 August 1942 ARMIDALE, with Teddy Sheean onboard, departed Sydney for the last time. She carried out escort duties in the North Queensland-Port Moresby-Milne Bay area until arriving in Darwin on 7 November 1942. After arrival in Darwin ARMIDALE was allocated to support Australian operations on Timor, the role that would result in the loss of the ship and many of those onboard. On 1st December, ARMIDALE was attack by Japanese aircraft whilst enroute to Timor. The ship ship was severely damaged and had to be abandoned. As the crew were abandoning ship Japanese began machine-gunning survivors in the water. When he saw this, Ordinary-seaman Edward `Teddy' Sheean, though himself wounded, manned the aft 20 mm Oerlikon gun and began shooting at the attacking aircraft, he shot one down and damaged two others. Sheean remained at the gun and continued to engage the enemy aircraft even as the ship went down. Teddy Sheean gave up his chance to escape and died trying to save his mates. For this act of selfless bravery he was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches, second only to a posthumous Victoria Cross. Of the 149 men onboard ARMIDALE when she sank 47 were killed in the air attack, the subsequent machine-gunning or died shortly afterwards. Many of those who made it into the water and ultimately survived owe their lives to Teddy Sheean and his act of bravery.
That's a VC if ever there was one but he continues to be honoured by his country: Welcome Aboard - HMAS Sheean (Royal Australian Navy)
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Heres some more if you haven't seen it already Firefoxy ! A local Hero - Edward “Teddy” Sheean Teddy was born at Barrington, in North Western Tasmania on the 28 December 1923. He grew up in Latrobe and attended the St. Patrick’s Catholic School until he started working with his father as a carpenter and woodcutter. With the Second World War raging in Europe and The Middle East, and the possibility of war with Japan, Teddy enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy as an Ordinary Seaman, on the 21 April 1941. He was 17 years and 4 months of age. While attached to HMAS Derwent he served aboard the auxiliary minesweeper HMAS Coombar. On his 18th birthday he joined HMAS Cerberus at Western Port, Victoria, to undertake further training and he was later posted to HMAS Penguin on the 11 May 1942. Whilst at HMAS Penguin he was posted to the new Bathurst Class corvette HMAS Armidale as part of the commissioning crew. On the 22 August 1942 the Armidale departed from Sydney for the last time. After escort duties along Australia’s northern coastline, the Armidale was sent to support Australian operations in Timor. About 3.15 pm on the 1 December 1942 the Japanese attacked the ship fiercely from the air. Apart from her normal crew of 83, HMAS Armidale had on board three Australian Army personnel, two Dutch Army officers and 61 Indonesian troops. About two-thirds of the Indonesians were in the forward mess deck and were killed as a result of the hit. The Armidale was severely damaged and the captain ordered, “abandon ship”. The enemy was machine-gunning survivors in the water, and although Teddy Sheean was wounded he manned the 20mm Oerlikon gun and began firing at the attacking aircraft. He shot down one plane and damaged two others. Teddy remained at the gun and continued firing as the ship went down. Even when the ship was almost totally submerged, tracer bullets from the Oerlikon gun were shooting from under the water. Teddy gave up his chance to escape and died on the 1 December 1942, trying to save his mates. Forty-seven of the one hundred and forty nine men aboard lost their lives. For his act of selfless bravery he was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches, second only to a posthumous Victoria Cross. Many of those who made it into the water and ultimately survived owe their lives to Teddy and his act of heroism. In 1987 by the Royal Australian Navy Corvettes Association erected a plaque in memory of Sheean in Corvettes’ Corner at Shropshire Park, Ulverstone, Tasmania. In May 1999 The Royal Australian Navy honoured Teddy Sheean by naming its fifth Collins class submarine after him. The first warship in the history of the Australian and British navies to be named after an Ordinary Seaman. His memory is not only commemorated in the naming of the submarine, but also in its crest. HMAS Sheean’s crest features an Oerlikon (mounted gun) in a base of embattled azure blue. The blue represents the navy and the sea, while the green represents the farming fields and Mount Roland near Teddy’s hometown of Latrobe. The division in the fields is known in heraldic terms as “embattled” and in this context signifies that he died in battle. The Oerlikon represents the weapon, which Teddy manned to the last. Atop the crests is a naval crown formed of sails and sterns of ships known as a Coronal Navalis, which was originally awarded to Roman heroes of sea battles. Between the motto and crest is the boomerang, axe and clubbing stick, which recognizes the traditional weapons of Australia’s indigenous heritage. The submarine’s motto “fight on” reflects the stand taken by Ordinary Seaman. Latrobe has also paid tribute to Teddy Sheean. With a memorial that depicts Teddy’s life as well as his final hours on the HMAS Armidale and it is also the starting point of “Sheean Walk”. The memorial was officially opened on the 12 December 1992. Sheean Walkway starts in the main street of Latrobe, at "Teddy Sheean Memorial", and then follows the old railway line to the River Road junction, at Bell's Parade. Sheean Walk has a number of plaques detailing the various conflicts of World War II and pays homage to those involved in the Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam and Korean conflicts. Information on this story comes from: A local hero leaflet, Teddy Sheean and the loss of HMAS Armidale, Port of Devonport Corporation News Magazine Winter 2001 Latrobe Online Access Centre
