Page 7 - cover
P. 7
;sia y;a jk l,dmh 5
had two Lecamwasams, both Lieutenants and
occasion my uncle, with special permission, took
as my uncle had a full head of hair, they were
us for a guided tour which at the time was like
known as Lecamwasam ‘with’ and ‘without’.
visiting the White House – as a 12 year old I was
As the Navy was much smaller than certainly filled with awe and very impressed!
today in 2018, even as a boy I could have The Navy even had its own Fire Service and of
named most of those who held the rank of course, its own Hospital, the Sick Bay where the
Commander and above – Ingleton, Mathysz, Navy doctors saw patients during ‘Sick Parades’
Perera, Elikawela, Devendra, Vernon Fernando, overseen by Petty Officers called Wardmasters.
Barry Fernando and Wickremasinghe were
Commanders. Captain Balakrishnan was the
Navy House
much loved ‘Captain Bala’ who headed the Trincomalee
Medical Department. Commander Mathysz was
the Naval officer in Command at Trincomalee
(NOIC) (T) and Commanding Officer (CO)
Tissa, the Commanding Officer for the Base
was Lieutenant Commander Alfred Perera. There were of course shipyards, dry docks
Both were hugely respected. A familiar figure after which the base was named and many
was Commander Darley Ingleton, a fitness Naval Offices and institutions for training such
enthusiast usually seen running around the as the large Naval Academy in the main base
Dockyard and known as ‘Mr. Fit’. He was also a ‘Tissa’ of which my uncle was a founding Officer
well known rugby referee. under Commander MGS Perera.
Dockyard,Gates
Commander MGS Perera
Trincomalee
The Dockyard was on the edge of the
DR. DEEPAL LECAMWASAM MD FRCP (LOND.)
city of Trincomalee which was overcrowded
FRACP FCCP
and dusty as was typically the case in towns in
Senior Geriatrician
the north east of Ceylon at the time, while the
Dockyard was an enclave of privilege - green Royal Adelaide Hospital
and orderly and quite different to the hustle and South Australia
bustle and chaos in the town.
Formerly Surgeon LT. CDR, Sri Lanka Navy
Officers and families bought provisions (Volunteers) 1977-1981
from the ‘Victualling Store’ and had many playing
fields and gymnasiums to use after hours, and
This article was written at the suggestion
even a neat Dockyard Cinema where English of the current Sri Lanka Navy Commander, Rear
films from Colombo screened at cinemas such Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, who I first had
as Savoy, Majestic, Liberty and Regal would be the privilege of meeting in 1984 when he was a
seen. The cinema was a popular place in those Midshipman at the Royal Naval Training College
pre TV/DVD days, especially as the entrance in Dartmouth, Devon, having topped his year as
was free! It was a special occasion for families to an Officer Cadet.
dress up and go for movies on weekend evenings
This is dedicated to all the officers and
when these screenings occurred.
other ranks I had the pleasure of serving with,
The Navy Commander’s house was but most of all to the Navy Medical Department
called Navy House, a huge mansion set in – Drs. Vernon Fernando, Milinda Amerasinghe,
spacious gardens with tall trees at the water’s Kitto Weerasuriya, Basil Gunawardena and
edge with its own pier, the Navy House Pier. This Hemantha Wickrematilleke from whom I learnt
was only seen at a distance but on one special much and enjoyed working so much with.
