Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight, I stand in support of a posthumous granting of a Victoria Cross for Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean and Captain Hec Waller. The Victoria Cross is the highest honour that can be awarded to an Australian armed service person during wartime. Ninety-seven have been awarded to Australians: 13 from the great state of Tasmania, including Harry Murray Victoria—Australia’s most highly decorated soldier.

The most recent Victoria Cross, of course, has been granted to Trooper Mark Donaldson, for his efforts in Afghanistan. As we debate, in this place, issues related to the war in Afghanistan, in which young Australians are serving and making the ultimate sacrifice, it is important to remember and properly recognise the bravery of those who have served. I am aware that the Australian War Memorial is conducting a national tour of Victoria Cross medals around the country—soon to be coming to Tasmania. Tasmania was originally left off the tour, but now they are coming to Tasmania. Together with the RSL, I am pleased to have played a role in ensuring that they will come to Tasmania. Together with the RSL, I produced the book Our Heroes: Tasmania’s Victoria Cross Recipients and it is now heading into its third edition. It is a very popular book among students and RSL veterans, in particular.

I raised this issue, the merit of the granting of these posthumous Victoria Crosses, in the Senate estimates last week, and I am absolutely delighted that the Chief of the Defence Force and the Chief of the Navy have agreed to consider this seriously. I will be writing to the minister directly, to confirm this and to ensure that this matter proceeds at an appropriate pace, with due consideration. I wanted to specifically note that, in my view, there is overwhelming evidence in support of the claims for both Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean, from Tasmania, and Captain Hec Waller. I would like to outline the reasons why in this contribution in the Senate right now.

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean was born in Lower Barrington, Tasmania, on 28 December 1923. His family soon moved to Latrobe and he was educated at the local Catholic school and worked as a farm labourer until he enlisted in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve is an ordinary seaman in April 1941. Initially sent to the Flinders Naval Depot in Westernport Bay, Victoria, Sheean was later sent to Garden Island for further training in about March 1942. In June 1942 he helped commission the new corvette HMAS Armidale and was posted to that vessel as an anti-aircraft gun loader.

At the end of November 1942, the Armidale was assigned to sail to Japanese-occupied Timor in the company of corvette HMAS Castlemaine. Their task was to land Dutch forces to reinforce the guerrillas on the island, withdraw the Australian 2nd/2nd Independent Company and withdraw some Portuguese civilians. Arriving off Timor on 1 December, the two corvettes met up with HMAS Kuru, which had already picked up civilians from the island. These civilians were transferred to the Castlemaine, which then returned to Darwin.

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean was aboard the HMAS Armidale on 1 December 1942 at about 12.30 pm, when the vessel came under repeated attack by at least 13 Japanese aircraft. By 3.15 pm the Armidale had begun to sink, an event that would take less than five minutes. The Armidale had been struck by two aerial torpedoes, and after the second hit, Lieutenant Commander David Richards ordered the ship to be abandoned.

Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean did not carry out that order. Out of 149 on board, only 49 would be rescued from the water. As the ship was sinking and the survivors in the water tried to board rafts the Japanese aircraft continued to strafe the men in the water. They were being shot while they were in the water. Ordinary Seaman Sheean, did not obey his commander’s command to abandon ship; he strapped himself to the gun and began firing at the aircraft. Witnesses report that tracer fire could be seen leaving the gun after it had sunk below the waves. He acted to save his mates. He acted in accordance with his conscience. He reportedly shot down at least one Japanese Zero in his efforts, and impacted on others. Sheean was posthumously awarded a Mention in Dispatches and in 2001 HMAS Sheean, a Collins class submarine, was commissioned. It is the first Royal Australian Naval vessel to be named after a non-officer. There is a wonderful portrait of Ordinary Seaman Sheean in the Australian War Memorial.

It is a fantastic story, and one that will be told, I am sure, for months and years to come. I am pleased to advise that members of his family are now very pleased with the news that the defence department are reconsidering this matter. I have talked with Garry Ivory, a nephew, who I will be meeting with early next week, and I know how pleased he is. Indeed, Max Sheean, another nephew, and other family members, I understand, are also pleased. I also want to acknowledge and thank the Tasmanian media for their interest in this story.

I also want to put on record my acknowledgement of Paul Cleary, who I spoke with today, the author of Men Who Came Out of the Ground, who particularly makes the case for Teddy Sheean to be properly recognised. I want to acknowledge also Mike Carlton, who I have had contact with, who wrote the book Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew, which details the bravery of Hec Waller. The shadow minister, Senator Johnston, has a portrait of the HMAS Perth in his office. It has been my pleasure to have contact with both of them in recent days, and I commend them for their work in highlighting important aspects of Australia’s military history. I also note that Paul Cleary, Mike Carlton and Brendan Nicholson of the Australian have all written articles on this issue in the national media in recent days, and I welcome the attention for this issue.

Captain Hec Waller was born in Benalla, Victoria, in 1900. He was appointed cadet midshipman in the newly established RAN in December 1913. He studied at the RAN College in Geelong and received the King’s Medal on graduation in 1917. He was sent to Britain in April 1918, and he ultimately reached the rank of commander in 1934. In 1937 he was given command of the British destroyer HMS Brazen. He was referred to by the Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies as ‘one of the greatest captains who ever sailed the seas’, and he gained the respect of the commander-in-chief, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, who described that to the late Prime Minister Menzies. In May 1940 he was appointed to command the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, and in June he was promoted to captain. Waller would be involved in naval battles on many occasions during his two years in the Mediterranean.

When he returned to Australia in September 1941, Waller was given command of the cruiser HMAS Perth. Following Japan’s entry into the war, Perth was sent to defend the Netherlands East Indies. The Allied fleet, of which the Perth was part, suffered heavily in the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February 1942, and Perth and the USS Houston were attempting to withdraw through Sunda Strait when they encountered a Japanese invasion convoy and escort. Houston and Perth destroyed at least four Japanese transports and a minesweeper, but both were sunk in the early hours of 1 March 1942. Of Perth’s 700 crew, only 218 would survive the sinking in subsequent years as prisoners of war. In terms of prisoners of war, I had the great honour of being on the Thai-Burma Railway on Anzac Day this year with colleagues and friends, including Senator John Williams.

Captain Waller went down with his ship. As well as his DSO and Bar, Waller was thrice mentioned in dispatches. Some believe he should have received a VC for his actions in the Sunda Strait. Indeed, many wrote accordingly. Captain Albert Rooks, commanding officer of the USS Houston, posthumously received the Medal of Honour, the US’s highest award for gallantry. Well, what about Captain Hec Waller?

The Dutch subsequently sought to posthumously honour Waller with an award of the Knighthood of the Militaire Willems-Orde, the highest Dutch gallantry award that could be given. He certainly deserves consideration for his efforts. I hope that within the department this is properly and seriously considered. I am confident that it will be. I commend this contribution to the Senate for serious consideration.