Air Vice-Marshall Harry Goonetilleke Archives

Air Force Days – By George Braine Source : eLanka In 1978, needing a change from teaching English, I applied to join the Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force. After facing an interview and passing a medical exam, I was asked to report in a few days to Air Force HQ in Colombo, before departure by train to Diyatalawa for training. At HQ, I first met my fellow trainees, about 20 in all. We were taken to the office of the Commander, Air Vice-Marshall Harry Goonetilleke, in groups of five, where we were sworn-in and commissioned. On the night mail train to Diyatalawa, I got to know the other trainees better. We ranged in age from early 20s to late 30s and were a motely lot, coming from varied educational and occupational backgrounds: teachers, agricultural officers, technical officers, budding accountants and bankers, an engineer, a veterinarian, and a dentist, a mix of ...

Air Force Days – By GEORGE BRAINE In 1978, needing a change from teaching English, I applied to join the Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force. After facing an interview and passing a medical exam, I was asked to report in a few days to Air Force HQ in Colombo, before departure by train to Diyatalawa for training. At HQ, I first met my fellow trainees, about 20 in all. We were taken to the office of the Commander, Air Vice-Marshall Harry Goonetilleke, in groups of five, where we were sworn-in and commissioned. On the night mail train to Diyatalawa, I got to know the other trainees better. We ranged in age from early 20s to late 30s and were a motely lot, coming from varied educational and occupational backgrounds: teachers, agricultural officers, technical officers, budding accountants and bankers, an engineer, a veterinarian, and a dentist, a mix of public servants ...