Teddy Sheean finally awarded a posthumous VC
Michael is joined by Matthew Denholm, The Australian Newspaper Tasmania Correspondent, who reports the ‘tears of joy’ to the surviving members of Teddy Sheean’s family upon him finally being awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross after years of being stuck in bureaucratic limbo.
Mr Denholm writes, ‘The awarding of a posthumous Victoria Cross to Teddy Sheean has been hailed by his family as righting a 78-year injustice and by others as providing inspiration for a nation battling adversity.’
‘Scott Morrison on Monday overturned his previous refusal to grant a VC to Sheean, who aboard a sinking MHAS Armidale in 1942 shunned the relative safety of a lifeboat, returning to his gun to save comrades being strafed in the water by Japanese fighters.’
‘The VC decision — based on an expert report confirming almost 80 years of Defence bungling and bloody-mindedness – brought Sheean’s surviving family and supporters to tears.’
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