Special Boats Squadron Archives

Remembering Heroes on 30th Anniversary of Special Boat Squadron Source:Island ‘Fortune favours the brave’ By Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne (Retired From Sri Lanka Navy) Former Chief of Defence Staff & Chairman Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd. Fortune favours the Brave’ is the motto of the Sri Lanka Navy’s elite Special Boats Squadron (SBS). The Navy is considered as “Silent Service” because no one sees what it does out at sea. The Sri Lanka Navy’s elite Sea Commando Unit is the SBS, which was raised in 1993 to fight the LTTE Sea Tigers. The SBS is known as ‘The Silent of Silent Service’ because of what it does, and its capabilities only a few in the country are aware of. I was fortunate enough to raise this elite unit, in 1993, and command it twice in my naval career during the most demanding times of our battle against the LTTE terrorists in ...

Remembering War Heroes on 30th Anniversary of Sri Lanka Navy Special Boats Squadron Commander (VNF) Cedric Martenstyn- Co- Founder of SBS – By Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne Former Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of The Navy Chairman Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd Commander (VNF) Cedric Martenstyn Cedric Martenstyn was a very rich and affluent man. He owned a house in Colombo 7 , valuable properties throughout the country, vehicles/ speed boats and ran the lucrative business of importing Johnson and Evanrude Out board Motors (OBM) and sold to local fishermen and fish businessmen. He was the local agent these OBMs and very popular product among humble fishermen of our country for their reliability and after sales service. He was fondly known as “Sudu Mahattaya “(white Gentleman) by humble fishermen and he will travel in his double cab to length and breadth of country to meet them and solve their problems ...