Admiral Alfred William Henry Perera, VSV, ndc, psc, SLN was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 1979 to 1983
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APPROACHING THE CENTENARY OF ST. PETER’S COLLEGE
An Admirable Peterite
Admiral Alfred William Henry Perera, VSV, ndc, psc, SLN was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 1979 to 1983.
Born on 15th Feb 1930 Alfred Perera was educated at St. Peter’s College, Colombo and was a keen sportsman captaining rugby for St. Peter’s in 1950. After leaving school he played rugby for Havelocks SC and then the Navy after he joined the Navy.
Alfred Perera joined the Royal Ceylon Navy (RCyN) on 23rd July 1951 at 21 years of age, a direct entry as a commissioned Sub Lieutenant to the executive branch and received his training at the Royal Naval College in Greenwich in England. Having completed his training at Greenwich
in 1953, he specialized in gunnery on board HMS Excellent in 1954 in the UK. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant 23rd May 1954.
His marriage to Daphne Perera, from Panadura took place on 21st December 1955 at Galle Face Hotel.
In 1962, promoted as Lieutenant Commander, he served as a member of the United Nations Security Force in West Guinea. He attended further training in the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington in 1964 and in 1970 he was promoted to the rank of Commander.
During the 1971 insurrection by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the RCyN deployed its officers and sailors to conduct counter insurgency operations in several districts on shore.
Commander Perera was appointed military coordinating officer of the Polonnaruwa District. In 1973, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and attended National Defence College, New Delhi in 1976.
During his career he held several commands at sea and on shore including Naval Officer in Charge, Trincomalee and Chief of Naval Staff.
A passionate rugby player, he served as the Chairman of the Naval Sports Board as well as the Chairman Defence Services Sports Board.
Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, he was appointed Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy on the 1st of June1979.
In 1981, during the period when Admiral Alfred Perera was Commander of the Navy (1979-1983) he would jokingly say “it is Pereras who protect Sri Lanka” for during that time all three Service Commanders of Sri Lanka happened to be Pereras. His schoolmate General Denis Perera was the Commander of the Army (1977-1981) and the Air Force Commander happened to be Air Marshal Dick Perera (1981-1986), a Benedictine.
St. Peter’ College duly honoured Admiral Perera by inviting him and his wife as Chief Guests for their annual sports meet on 23rd June 1979 and he was happy to be in familiar grounds at his Alma Mater.
With the onset of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 1983, Rear Admiral Alfred Perera continued the modernization and expansion of the navy. He initiated the development of the locally built Jayasagara-class off-shore patrol vessels for the navy.
On 31st May 1983, Rear Admiral Alfred Perera retired from the navy and was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral.
During his long career in the navy, he received the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, the Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal, the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, President’s Inauguration Medal and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
Following his retirement, Admiral Alfred Perera was appointed as the Commissioner General of Essential Services and thereafter was appointed Sri Lanka High Commissioner to Kenya in which capacity he served for four years.
In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral and Admiral Alfred William Henry Perera passed away on 14th November 2009 after a brief illness.
Let us remember this illustrious Naval Officer with gratitude for the honour he brought to College, serving the country with distinction.
Sources – Wikipedia, St. Peter’s College records and family.
