The memory of renowned Tasmanian sailor Edward “Teddy” Sheean lives on through a reopened memorial grants program.
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The Teddy Sheean Memorial Grants were created to honour the sacrifice made by Mr Sheean when he died, aged 18, in 1942 during a battle off the coast of East Timor.
Ordinary Seaman Sheean was on the HMAS Armidale and died going down with the ship.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Guy Barnett described Ordinary Seaman Sheean’s sacrifice as an outrageous act of courage that needed to be recognised.
“David Richards, the commander, said to abandon ship, and all of [Ordinary Seaman Sheean’s] mates abandoned the ship and the Japanese were still coming in and strafing the water,” he said.
“Rather than abandon ship, he went back to his gun, strapped himself in, and took down one plane and damaged another to protect his mates.”
The Launceston RSL sub-branch had previously been a recipient of the Teddy Sheean Memorial Grant.
President Graeme Barnett said the grants greatly benefit clubs around the state.
“It was wonderful, because when we received the grant we were pushing for a quid to do the place up,” he said
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“It’s almost like it was meant to be. For an RSL, or an ex-servicemen’s organisation, to receive funding in the memory of an ex-serviceman is just fantastic.
“It doesn’t get wasted, I can tell you. We’re looking forward to starting work on our next application.”
Club secretary Peter Williams said they aimed to work on the RSL’s museum.
“There’s a lot of things that people don’t know, and the best way to show people about some of these things is to make it visual so that people can see and understand the history of some of the awards, decorations, and items, and where they fit in and where they come from,” he said.
Mr Barnett said alongside the grants program, efforts were still underway to have Ordinary Seaman Sheean awarded the Victoria Cross.
“[The Royal Australian Navy] has been in existence for 100 years, and we have now had 100 Victoria Cross recipients across Australia, but not one from the Royal Australian Navy,” he said.
“It’s possible … that Teddy Sheean will be that one, subject to further efforts.”
Applications for the Teddy Sheean Memorial Grants can be made for up to $10,000 for upgrades to RSL sub-branches and ex-servicemen organisations, with funding support also available for memorials.
Guidelines and application are available at www.communities.tas.gov.au/csr. Round one applications close September 28.