The nature of Ed Sheean's devotion to his duty is undeniable... even Japanese reports on the action, indicate that they had to take evasive action because their aircraft were taking effective fire... and that can only have been from Sheean's gun, because he returned to his station after the order to abandon ship was given... where it is known that he was wounded and that he strapped himself to his gun mount in order to continue firing.
Those of you who have read other witness reports from his shipmates... will recall that they saw fire from Sheean's gun continue as the ship itself submerged. So he fought to his dying breath, to protect them.
"Greater love hath no man..."
Always remember the legal maxim...
that justice delayed is justice denied.
Just because the armchair warriors denied the nomination at the time, doesn't mean that a wrong was not done to Sheean AND to the men he sought to protect. Those men were grateful for his action and denying recognition for saving their lives from Japanese strafing, was an obvious bureaucratic injustice at the time and both the ADF and the Prime Minister himself, rejected that nomination all over again on two occasions in the last couple of years alone.
One of the clear problems with Sheean's case, goes back to the fundamental bias in the UK system of military honours and awards. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert established the medal for ALL ranks, in an attempt to ensure that bravery from enlisted ranks would have a better chance of being publicly recognised. Even so, Command level objection to citations involving men
'merely doing their duty' has obviously persisted... and alas, that bent effectively slipped into our own Defence Force culture as well.
It is also fairly clear that another technical issue also cropped up in this case... just as it has in quite a few other famous (and denied) VC nominations. The order "Abandon Ship"had been given, when Sheean returned to his post... in an apparent contravention of that ORDER. So, this is another of the many nominations which Command frowned upon, because any form of failure to follow a direct order... even as an action of undoubted valour, opened up a pandora's box.
There is of course another form of lunacy which impacts 1st and 2nd WW nominations for the VC and other valour awards. The notion of "Quotas". Only a military bureaucracy could conceive of approving (or denying) awards of this kind, on the basis of an arbitrary quota. I mention it to show just what nonsense went on behind earlier nominations of this kind... not that this impacted the decision at the time... of course it didn't, the RAN had no VC's.
Finally, I note that if it was not for a 30 year campaign by a new generation of the man's family, the repeated injustice would have been sustained. I am glad some measure of common sense has been attained, but his family shouldn't have had to fight so long and so hard to attain a measure of justice and recognition for the self-sacrifice shown in the face of the barbarity of the war in the Pacific.
I note also that after a brief public tour, Sheean's VC will reside in the AWM, as a national treasure.
Yours in research and writing
Lest we EVER forget
Mark Corcoran
https://charliebravobooks.com/
Co Author of: “Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army” Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era)
Vol 1: Insignia for Corps and Schools Etc and Vol 2: Insignia for Units and Regiments.