At long last, a posthumous VC for Teddy Sheean, a 19-year-old sailor who went down with the ship fighting dramatic last stand:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Sheean
“Edward "Teddy" Sheean (28 December 1923-1 December 1942) was a sailor in the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War. Born in Tasmania, Sheean was employed as a farm labourer when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in April 1941. Following training at HMAS Derwent and the Flinders Naval Depot, he was posted to Sydney, where he joined the newly commissioned corvette HMAS Armidale in June 1942. Sheean served aboard Armidale as she initially took part in escort duties along the eastern Australian coast and in New Guinea waters, before he transferred with the ship to Darwin in October, where Armidale was given the task of assisting Australian operations in Timor. On 29 November 1942, Armidale set out for an operation to Betano, Timor, along with HMAS Castlemaine. The two ships were attacked by Japanese aircraft along the way, and were subsequently late in arriving at their destination, missing a planned rendezvous with HMAS Kuru. While returning to Darwin, the pair encountered Kuru south of Betano and it was decided by Castlemaine's commanding officer—as the senior officer—that Armidale and Kuru should make for Betano. The two ships took different routes to Betano, during which both vessels came under aerial assault. During a subsequent confrontation with thirteen Japanese aircraft on 1 December, Armidale was struck by two torpedoes and a bomb, and began to sink; the order to abandon ship was given. After helping to free a life-raft, Sheean was wounded by two bullets. He made his way to the aft Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and began to fire on the Japanese aircraft to protect those in the water. Sheean managed to shoot down one of the Japanese bombers, but was killed when Armidale sank. Many of the survivors credited their lives to Sheean and he was posthumously mentioned in despatches. In 1999, the submarine HMAS Sheean was named in his honour, and efforts have been made to have Sheean awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia. On 10 August 2020, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison recommended to the Queen that Sheean posthumously be awarded the Victoria Cross.”
Really, I knew an old guy who knew Teddy and was in the water as this all went down. Teddy was shot up, and dying. But he staggered to the gun, tied himself to it, and began firing at the Japanese planes. He did shoot down one, but my friend thought that two went down. He was firing as the ship sank under the water. Bullets still broke the surface as the ship sunk under the waves, a most moving epic image.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-10/scott-morrison-teddy-sheean-victoria-cross-recommendation/12540708
“Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recommended the Queen posthumously award World War II hero Edward 'Teddy' Sheean a Victoria Cross. Tasmanian Sheean, an 18-year-old with less than two years at sea, was an Ordinary Seaman on the minesweeper HMAS Armidale when it came under heavy attack from Japanese aircraft off the coast of what is now Timor-Leste in 1942. Mr Morrison ordered an expert panel re-examine the case for Sheean receiving Australia's highest military honour after earlier attempts had failed to recommend he receive a Victoria Cross. Sheean is recorded as helping launch life rafts before returning to his anti-aircraft gun to fire at enemy aircraft that were strafing his shipmates as they floundered in the water, despite the order having been given to abandon ship.”
It was a great last stand, at the same level as the Viking on Stamford Bridge, who stood alone on the bridge to stop the Saxons advancing over the bridge. With but an axe, he killed at least 40 men, before being speared by a sneaky Saxon going under the bridge. Ouch!
https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/battle-stamford-bridge-vikings