7 years ago
75 YEARS SINCE THE SINKING OF HMAS ARMIDALE (I)
THE HON AMANDA RISHWORTH MP
Today, December, 1 we remember 75 years since the sinking of HMAS Armidale (I).
Commissioned in June 1942, the Armidale was one of 60 Australian Minesweepers built during World War II and operated between Australia and New Guinea throughout the Second World War.
In late November, the HMAS Armidale (I) in company with HMAS Castlemaine would leave Darwin to take part in its last mission as part of Operation HAMBURGER, the relief operation to assist and withdraw 150 Portuguese civilians from Japanese occupied Timor.
Between Timor and Darwin the HMAS Armidale (I) came under fierce aerial attack from enemy forces, which forced Australian seamen to abandon ship.
Their ordeal, however, was far from over as Japanese airmen pressed further attacks machine gunning the survivors.
Of those men lost during the sinking of HMAS Armidale (I), Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean would be remembered amongst most.
As described later by Leading Seaman Leigh Bool;
The hero of the battle was a young ordinary seaman, Edward Sheean, not long at sea, who refused to leave the ship. Sheean had no chance of escape. Strapped to his anti-aircraft gun, he blazed away till the last. One of the Jap bombers, hit by his gun, staggered away trailing smoke, just skimming the surface until it crashed with a mighty splash about a quarter mile away.
Out of a total of 83 Australian naval personnel from HMAS Armidale (I), 40 lost their lives.
Today, we remember the sacrifice and courage by those of those men on HMAS Armidale (I).