Navy Signals – By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne Source:island.lk Messages transmitted among ships or from ships to shore are known as signals in naval jargon. Some of these signals are secret messages. Others are routine signals, such as ship’s victualling requirements and personnel transfers. Signal men, or present-day ‘communicators’, are a group of proud people who work closely with Commanding Officers and other officers. As the old Navy mostly communicated in English, and in Morse Code, in English, their English knowledge was always impeccable. Furthermore, communicators dressed very smartly. The famous writer, the late Kalakeerthi Karl Muller, in his novel, ‘Spit and Polish, vividly describes the job of communicators in the Navy. Long before radio technology and telecommunications were invented, sailing ships communicated with one another with the help of flags. Those ships required to get close to harbours to communicate with shore. There are numerical and alphabetical flags of ...
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eLanka Newsletter – 30th March 2022 – 9th Edition – Sri Lankans In Australia Click here or on the image below to read this week’s elanka Newsletter “VEDDAS WANDER” – by Des Kelly Dr Padmini Howpage – She is a Srilankan Australian. Why does this matter ? KatchaMusic – 13 Years in the Making – Kat & Cha COVID SAFE PRINCIPLES FOR YOUR WORKERS, CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITIES FINANCIAL, WELLBEING. GRANTS AND OTHER SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO BUSINESS OWNERS – PRESENTED BY AUSTRALIA SRI LANKA BUSINESS COUNCIL & AUSTRALIA SOUTH ASIA SOCIETY ( WEDNESDAY 6 APRIL 2022 – 7 – 8pm) MARIAZELLE OF ‘KANDY LAMISSI’ FAME SUSTAINS STARDOM WITH UNBLEMISHED MELODIOUS VOICE – by Sunil Thenabadu 20 March 2022 to 30 June 2022 Pension Rates Charts – Australia Australian Academy of Science medal for geotechnical engineer Dr Samintha Perera Fond memories! The great school by the sea – during a bygone era! ...
eLanka Newsletter – 11 July 2021 – 3rd Edition – Sri Lankans In Australia Click here or on the image below to read this week’s elanka Newsletter “AGE, IS SIMPLY A NUMBER” – By Des Kelly Rotary Club of Colombo Port City – General Meeting on 7 July 2021 – Former High Commissioner to Australia, Somasundaram Skandakumar delivers the Keynote Address Tribute to my dear Uncle James Henry Lanerolle (James Mama)-by Savanthi de Silva New Order issued under Foreign Exchange Act to Preserve the Foreign Exchange Position of Sri Lanka His humaneness went hand in hand with his expertise as a surgeon – PROF C. BARR KUMARAKULASINGHE – by M. Karalasingham Warden’s Letter to Old Boys – July 2021 Ambassadors’ Forum presents Foreign Policy Perspectives by the Secretary of the Forum former Diplomat Jeff Goonewardena on behalf of the Forum COVID EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING TO SUPPORT VULNERABLE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES Aakash ...
Waiting for my friend, Mrs. Willy-by Admiral Ravindra c Wijegunaratne (The writer is a former member of the Navy Special Boats Squadron, the elite naval commando unit.) Source:Island The Navy deployed small groups on the enemy-held beaches for reconnaissance during the war against the LTTE. These highly trained four-member groups of the Special Boats Squadron (SBS) personnel infiltrated the LTTE-held terrain under cover of darkness, risking their lives. They stayed there either for reconnaissance or setting up caches of ammunition and other supplies needed for future operations in the areas concerned. When dangerous operations were conducted behind enemy lines, I, as the CO SBS, committing my best men for such missions, confined myself to a cell of sorts; I stayed in operations room with a secure communication set, eating the same rations as my boys—on some days only chocolate—until they accomplished their missions and returned to base safely. Then, I ...
eLanka Newsletter – 13 Jan 2021 – 4th edition – Sri Lankans in Australia Click here or on the image below to read this week’s elanka Newsletter My memories working at the Ceylon Tea Centre in London during the sixties-by Irangani Gunatillake “A TREASURE-TREE” – by Des Kelly Sri Lankan style warm welcome in Melbourne Dré Diesel provides exceptional service to real estate agents Burundi to Bledisloe: The African refugee who’ll sing Australia’s anthem at Bledisloe III-By Tom Decent All about T-20 Cricket you need to know Rohan Weerakkody, only cricketer to win five titles at Mega Show-by Dinesh Weerawansa Is it Tea or Coffee, you prefer?-By Dr Harold Gunatillake Meemure – Paradise hamlet in Central Highlands By Arundathie Abeysinghe Panthers downed by impressive Swans (Sri Lankan’s ex International Tillakaratne Dilshan in action!) Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo How nine siblings were steeled to bear excruciating pain-By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne ...
Found memories of Delft Island – By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne (Retired from Sri Lanka Navy) Former Chief of Defence Staff Source:Island In 1986, as a 23-year-old naval officer, I received my first sea command as Officer-in-Charge of P 432; Colombo Dockyard-built Coastal Patrol Craft in Karainagar, Jaffna. It became my third consecutive appointment in the Northern naval area. I thought that someone in Naval Headquarters didn’t like my face! Anyway, I really enjoyed my time in the North and sailed the length and breadth of Northern waters, besides visiting all tiny islands and local channels in restricted waters of the Jaffna lagoon and gathering information about amphibious landing sites. That stood me in good stead when I operated with Indian Marine Commandos (MARCOS) during “Operation Pawan” in 1988/89 and subsequently commanded the Special Boats Squadron (SBS), planning and executing “behind-the-enemy-line’ operations. So, as a very junior naval officer, patrolling the ...
