The ARMIDALE documentary seamlessly blends individual acts of bravery with the horror of war. It realises an extraordinary level of emotional depth and humanity, set against a terrible tragedy, all with a political sting in the tail.
HMAS ARMIDALE was an Australian Corvette sunk by the Japanese in a three-minute hellfire off the coast of East Timor on December 1, 1942. 1942 was Australia’s most perilous year during World War 2. Darwin was being regularly bombed and an invasion by the Japanese appeared imminent.
Nearly 80 years is a long time to be recounting an accurate, factual story of what happened. How and why did it happen …and why is it so important? It is important to stress Armidale’s mission was classified for 50 years, a story that was not allowed to be told. Armidale is based on facts … uncovered by searches of Navy records, transcripts of official inquiries, documented evidence, and interviews with Ray Leonard, Rex Pullen and other survivors.
The dramatic and remarkable Armidale story did not end in 1942! In 2020, 78 years after his heroic actions onboard the Armidale on the day of the attack, (after a long and contentious campaign), Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean became the first Navy crew member to be awarded Australia’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross of Australia. Teddy’s actions are just one part of the fascinating and multi-layered Armidale story.
The Armidale documentary will be a dramatic telling of the events told by those who were there. Ray Leonard and Rex Pullen are both great characters and story tellers. They recount their experience in the Navy, the Armidale sinking and subsequent inquiry and are the key links as the story unfolds. In addition, many survivors wrote about their experiences. We will also be interviewing the former head of the Navy’s historical department, John Perryman, and Sheean family member Gary Ivory, who drove the campaign for Teddy’s VC.
