March of Majesty

by Dishan Joseph

Safeguarding the territorial sovereignty of a nation is an important task. The Officers and Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army can look back with pride on their long march to success. They have encountered three decades of bloody conflict successfully defeating terrorism and remain a dependable and formidable team.

Ancient Ceylon with its proximity to India had faced many invasion attempts which were repulsed. The first military engagement in our island began with the arrival of the banished Prince Vijaya. Notable warrior Kings in our history were Dutugemunu, Gajabahu, Vijayabahu and Dhatusena. The great ruler Parakramabahu 1 mounted a seaborne assault leading an expedition to Myanmar, taking a detachment of elephant mounted cavalry. Ancient records show that the ruling kings had infantry that could be summoned into combat readiness including skilled archers.

It was the use of ferocious cannon firepower, which enabled invading European militaries to wield their control over our maritime provinces. Yet the Portuguese, Dutch and British faced tactical ambushes and resistance from our defiant forefathers. Their supply convoys were subject to surprise attacks that frustrated them. The Dutch fortified their defenses with strong Forts built in Colombo, Jaffna, Matara, Galle, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. The British established their military Head Quarters in Trincomalee with a fleet of ships, artillery and infantry. In 1802 a regiment was formed with Sinhalese and Malay soldiers known as 1st Ceylon Regiment. Even African troops were attached to this regiment which was renamed Ceylon Rifle Regiment in 1817.

Volunteer Corps blossoms

A historic Ordinance was enacted in 1861 which gave birth to a Volunteer Corps in the Colony of Ceylon. This new formation was referred to as Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers. The Volunteer Force gradually blossomed to raise units such as the Ceylon Artillery, Mounted Infantry, Medical Corps, Engineer Corps, Cadet Battalion and Supply & Transport Corps.

During the course of 1910 the force was renamed Ceylon Defence Force and subject to new training to maintain combat readiness.. During World War 1 members of the CDF were deployed to England for active duty. With the advent of World War 11 the Ceylon Defence Force saw an expansion with new units including Telegraph Signals Corps, Military Police Corps and the Colombo Town Guard. After gaining Independence the Army Act was passed in 1949 by Parliament raising the Ceylon Army, an important milestone in their progressive march.

Training at Sandhurst

The then Ministry of Defence was endowed with a Regular Force on 10th October 1949 under the Command of Brigadier Roderick Sinclair, DSO. This gazette notice was signed by Hon. D.S.Senanayake, Minster of Defence establishing the new Army Head Quarters during the tenure of Sir Kanthiah Vaithianathan CBE, Secretary of Defence. In 1950 the first batch of Ceylonese Officer Cadets, were sent to the prestigious Military Academy at Sandhurst, England. Realizing the need for consistent training a school was established in the salubrious green hills of Diyatalawa, which has now grown into a fully fledged Military Academy. Brigadier Anton Muthukumaru became the first Ceylonese to be appointed Army Commander at the age of 47 years. He was a pioneer who envisaged the Panagoda Cantonment. When Ceylon declared itself an Independent Republic in 1972 the army was renamed Sri Lanka Army. Today the prudent head of the Army is Lt. General Chrishanthe de Silva who shoulders the responsibility of leading a 200,000 strong force.

Counter terrorism offensive

In the following years as insurgencies and domestic terrorism increased the Army introduced Area Head Quarters in its chain of command. Realizing the need for a trained unit to deal with anti terror and hostage rescue operations the first Commando course was conducted in February 1978. Thereafter the Commando Squadron was formed in 1980 headquartered in Ganemulla. The Infantry Regiments made a massive contribution and bore the brunt of many battles. From the inception of the CLI- Ceylon Light Infantry the determined soldiers grew into the Sinha regiment, Gemunu regiment, Gajaba and Vijayabhau regiments.

The Army was extensively involved in offensive operations which led to the formation of a unit of combat trackers in 1986 with 2 officers and 38 men who navigated in jungle territory.

These valiant men paved way for the formation of the Special Forces Regiment in 1988. This regiment specializes in asymmetric warfare, sniper fire, offensive raiding and operations behind enemy lines.

Enhanced firepower

Another element that played a vital role is the Armored Corps which was initiated on the visionary thinking of the late Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala. In 1955 it began as an Armored Reconnaissance Regiment with Ferret cars and Daimler scout cars at Echelon Square, Fort. In 1957 the unit relocated to Rock House Camp, Colombo15. The Corps was given impetus with the arrival of T-35 Chinese Tanks and T-55 tanks in 1991. Fire power in the battle field was enhanced with the formation of the Regiment of Artillery which is one of the oldest units established in 1888 as a gun battery to support the Ceylon Town Guard. In 1918 it became the Ceylon Garrison Artillery. These men also fought in the Seychelles and Cocos Islands. Over the years weaponry was upgraded to fire 120mm and 152 mm Howitzers. The RM-70 Multiple Rocket Launcher (MBRL) from Czechoslovakia increased the regiment’s effectiveness alongside modern target acquisition systems.

Role of Women soldiers

The operational capability of the Sri Lanka Army is supported by many other regiments and administrative divisions including the Women’s Corps which was formed in September 1979. The women initially worked as nurses and clerks and moved onto combat duties alongside their male colleagues. The present Colonel -Commandant is Brigadier Dr. (Ms) Munasinghe. In this era of sustained peace the Army is responsible for the long term welfare and support of many disabled soldiers and their dependent families. It is interesting to note that of the 29 PWV medals awarded to the Tri forces in recognition of outstanding valor the Army has been bestowed with 20 medals, which is testament to their altruism.(Parama Weera Vibhushanaya- is the highest medal for gallantry).

Cormorant Strike

Over the past few years the Army has conducted a series of field training exercises codenamed Cormorant Strike to maintain its combat readiness with the participation of Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Sudan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and USA as observers and participants. Airborne elements of the Special Forces and Commando regiment raided fortified enemy positions supported by naval fast attack crafts and helicopter gunships of the Air Force. This year’s exercise saw the use of the WEBGIS software system for the first time. The annual ceremony of blessing flags of all the Regiments and Divisions of the Army was held at the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Anuradhapura. Many senior officers including the Commander took part in this solemn and coloruful ceremony. As we remember the service of the Army all Sri Lankans have a national obligation to unite as one people, and strive to sustain long term prosperity in our blessed motherland. The ancient Chinese general and philosopher Sun Tzu once said “ If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles “. The Sri Lanka Army has indeed proven this.