It's been more than 76 years since Edward "Teddy" Sheean died in World War II — and for almost half that time, his nephew Garry Ivory has been fighting for a Victoria Cross (VC) for his uncle.

Key points: Edward 'Teddy' Sheean died in 1942, shooting Japanese fighter planes

Edward 'Teddy' Sheean died in 1942, shooting Japanese fighter planes The campaign for his actions to be recognised has been repeatedly knocked back

The campaign for his actions to be recognised has been repeatedly knocked back The Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal will review the case

Today marks the latest chapter in the campaign, with the Defence Honours and Awards Tribunal reconsidering whether Mr Sheean should be awarded Australia's top wartime honour.

Mr Sheean was 18 years old when he left home in Lower Barrington in Tasmania's north and joined the Navy to fight in World War II.

He was injured on HMAS Armidale when it was attacked by Japanese warplanes while evacuating Australian and Dutch soldiers from what is now East Timor on December 1, 1942.

Instead of abandoning the fast-sinking ship, he strapped himself to the vessel's Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon and fired at the planes until he went down with the ship.

A hundred people onboard died in the attack, but his actions are credited with helping save the lives of 49 crew.

Mr Sheean brought down two of the aircraft, but Mr Ivory said despite his best efforts, his uncle's actions had never been properly honoured.

"He sacrificed his life to save his mates, so to me, I don't think there's been a more heroic deed in the armed forces, Army, Navy or Air Force," he said.

"We believe he deserves a VC and that's what we'll be fighting as hard as we can to get."

Dale Marsh's painting of Teddy Sheean hangs in the Australian War Memorial. ( Australian War Memorial )

He received a Mentioned in Dispatches (MiD) — an Imperial form of recognition of bravery citing his name in an official report — but Mr Ivory said that was not enough.

"A mention in dispatches might be an honour for someone high up in the Navy, but it doesn't even have a medal. So to me, for what Teddy did, to just receive an MiD is virtually nothing," he said.

In 1999, a Royal Australian Navy Collins Class submarine was named after him — the only ship in the Navy to bear the name of a sailor.

Garry Ivory has been fighting for a VC for his uncle for more than three decades. ( ABC News: Laura Beavis )

Long road to recognition

Mr Sheean's family has been lobbying for posthumous recognition for decades, and they have hit many roadblocks along the way.

The tribunal decided against awarding him a VC in 2013 as part of the Valour Inquiry which, according to the tribunal's James Cannon, looked extensively at the processes surrounding the recommendation of awards, not necessarily the actions of individuals.

There's been increasing attention paid to the campaign, with Dr Tom Lewis writing a book on the subject. ( ABC News: Laura Beavis )

The final report concluded that "Sheean's actions displayed conspicuous gallantry but did not reach the particularly high standard required for recommendation for a VC", and that all proper channels for awarding medals were followed at the time.

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence also refused a request to consider him for the accolade in 2017.

Mr Ivory admitted he did not think there would be another opportunity.

"That's what I thought last time when the Chief of Navy knocked it back and then we got knocked back by the Brits and I thought 'that's it'," he said.

Former senator and current Government MP, Guy Barnett, has been involved in the push for the last 16 years "to see Teddy's extraordinary bravery recognised with a VC".

He is the applicant at the hearing, and said he was looking forward to making the case for Mr Sheean to be honoured.

"The time has come for this exceptional Tasmanian to be recognised," he said.

Mr Ivory said the campaign for the VC had gathered momentum over recent years, with Australian country singer Lee Kernaghan writing a song about Mr Sheean, and author Dr Tom Lewis penning a book about it.

There is also a painting of the sailor by Dale Marsh hanging in the Australian War Memorial.

What do you need to do to get a VC?

The Victoria Cross is awarded "for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy".

While Mr Sheean may seem deserving on the face of it, Professor of History at the University of Tasmania, Stefan Petrow, said of Australia's 100 VC recipients, not a single one was from the Navy, which does not weigh in his favour.

He also said some commanders were reluctant to recommend awards, hampering the chances of soldiers being recognised decades later.

"You have to be recommended, you can't recommend yourself," he said.

"Some commanders didn't want to give too many awards, whereas others did because they wanted the unit they were fighting in to be celebrated and have a great reputation."

The community has joined the calls for Edward 'Teddy' Sheean to get the recognition he deserves. ( ABC News: Tim Morgan )

It is also a challenge to receive recognition after death, with Mr Petrow saying under Queen Elizabeth II's reign, she has granted just six posthumous Victoria Crosses to British armed forces personnel.

That is because it is harder to justify an award if it was not suggested at the time, but it is also possible for recommendations to be lost or forgotten in the heat of battle.

Additionally, he said comparatively few VCs were awarded in World War II, with just 20 being handed out, compared to 64 in World War I.

What will be different this time?

Mr Cannon said this time the tribunal would look exclusively at Mr Sheean's actions and whether they warranted a posthumous award, including a VC.

Mr Petrow said it was more likely an award would be recommended at this review because it was only his behaviour being considered.

"If you're actually looking at the act and you're looking at the criteria for the VC, it's an entirely different context for assessing whether Teddy and others who were denied a VC should get one," he said.

Mr Barnett said the narrowing of the scope of the review provided the "best chance yet to see Teddy's courage more appropriately recognised".

"The Tribunal will be focused on Teddy's actions, which are self-sacrificing and courageous," he said.

Mr Ivory said he was optimistic about the result of the review this time around.

"I think there's been a lot of peer pressure to right this wrong. I do believe we deserve an upgrade, he said.

The hearing will run for two days.