Page 66 - Sayuru 40 full set
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64 Sayurusara 2019 December
Sri Lanka Navy & Trincomalee Dockyard :
1959-1971
This narration is made in dedication to my system – referred to as the Westminster system –
father the late Mr Herbert Wellington Eliyathamby was introduced just before Independence. Twenty
who was the Senior Transport Foreman at Dockyard, four years after Independence the country changed
Trincomalee from 1959-1971. Additionally, it is a tribute its Constitution and became a Republic on May 22,
to the various Naval Sailors & Officers who served in 1972. It marked the birth of the Socialist Republic of
the Dockyard under the Royal Ceylon Navy banner. Sri Sri Lanka within the Commonwealth of Nations. That
Lanka Navy (SLN) Dockyard is the largest naval base of was the day when the official name of the country
the Sri Lanka Navy and was a major shipyard located was changed from ‘Ceylon’ to ‘Sri Lanka’. The name
in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. Established by the British as Royal Ceylon Navy then changed its name to the Sri
the Royal Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee it was home to Lankan Navy.
the East Indies Station of the Royal Navy during World
War II. Since the withdrawal of the Royal Navy, the
Dockyard as it was known to people outside
Royal Ceylon Navy took over dockyard. It became the the Main Naval Gate is a town in its own right with
home base of the Royal Ceylon Navy fleet and today it is all naval families domiciled within the perimeter of
home to the Eastern Naval Command and the Naval and Dockyard living in ‘quarters’ that were built courtesy
Maritime Academy of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Port of of the British. All Naval recruits were trained at
Trincomalee boasts of being the second largest natural Dockyard & the ‘passing out parades’ was a show
harbour in the world, and has a long history, having piece of its Sailors ready to answer any call of duty.
being held by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the Whilst the Dockyard was primarily an area for
British, as a result of its sheer size and depth, offering the uniform staff many civilians living outside the
safety to vessels within its precincts.The British found dockyard were employed in various divisions within
this harbour of great importance strategically during the dockyard. Some of these areas comprised the
World War II. Motor Transport Division, Civil Engineering Section
Health/PHI department etc. The Navy certainly
History tells us that the Royal Navy presence in provided employment to many individuals within
Ceylon came to an end in 1956, when Prime Minister the Trincomalee District. The passing out parades
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike requested the removal of all saw Rear Admiral’s Kadiragamar & Hunter grace the
British service personnel from the island. The dockyard occasion. Rajanathan "Rajan" Kadiragamar, MVO,
was taken over by the Royal Ceylon Navy and became ADC, RCyN (born 1922) was Sri Lankan Admiral. He
the home port for its newly established fleet. was the second Ceylonese Captain of the Royal Ceylon
Ceylon – as Navy from 1960 to 1970 and as such the longest
Sri Lanka was then serving Commander of the Navy. Rear Admiral D.V.
known – gained Hunter (born 1917) – was the Commander of the
Independence on Royal Ceylon Navy and Sri Lanka Navy from July 1970
February 4th, 1948 to March 1973.
from the British with Naval Ships (1960-1970)
no blood lost like what
happened in India.
Till then we were a SLNS Gajabahu (named after Gajabahu, a
Crown Colony in the former king of Sri Lanka) was a River-class frigate of
British Empire for a the Sri Lanka Navy. She has since been converted to
little over 150 years a training ship for the Naval & Maritime Academy,
after the British took Trincomalee. She was originally HMCS Hallowell of
over administering the Royal Canadian Navy, ex-Israeli Misnak, ex-HMCyS
the country from the Gajabahu) - former flagship, HMCyS Hansaya - Long
Dutch in 1796. patrol boat, MCyS Kotiya- Seaward defence boat-The
Ford-class seaward defence boats were built for the
Royal Navy (with three built for the South African
A Parliamentary Navy) in the 1950s. They were designed to detect
system of government and attack hostile submarines, including midget
based on the British
Sri Lanka Navy & Trincomalee Dockyard :
1959-1971
This narration is made in dedication to my system – referred to as the Westminster system –
father the late Mr Herbert Wellington Eliyathamby was introduced just before Independence. Twenty
who was the Senior Transport Foreman at Dockyard, four years after Independence the country changed
Trincomalee from 1959-1971. Additionally, it is a tribute its Constitution and became a Republic on May 22,
to the various Naval Sailors & Officers who served in 1972. It marked the birth of the Socialist Republic of
the Dockyard under the Royal Ceylon Navy banner. Sri Sri Lanka within the Commonwealth of Nations. That
Lanka Navy (SLN) Dockyard is the largest naval base of was the day when the official name of the country
the Sri Lanka Navy and was a major shipyard located was changed from ‘Ceylon’ to ‘Sri Lanka’. The name
in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. Established by the British as Royal Ceylon Navy then changed its name to the Sri
the Royal Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee it was home to Lankan Navy.
the East Indies Station of the Royal Navy during World
War II. Since the withdrawal of the Royal Navy, the
Dockyard as it was known to people outside
Royal Ceylon Navy took over dockyard. It became the the Main Naval Gate is a town in its own right with
home base of the Royal Ceylon Navy fleet and today it is all naval families domiciled within the perimeter of
home to the Eastern Naval Command and the Naval and Dockyard living in ‘quarters’ that were built courtesy
Maritime Academy of the Sri Lanka Navy. The Port of of the British. All Naval recruits were trained at
Trincomalee boasts of being the second largest natural Dockyard & the ‘passing out parades’ was a show
harbour in the world, and has a long history, having piece of its Sailors ready to answer any call of duty.
being held by the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the Whilst the Dockyard was primarily an area for
British, as a result of its sheer size and depth, offering the uniform staff many civilians living outside the
safety to vessels within its precincts.The British found dockyard were employed in various divisions within
this harbour of great importance strategically during the dockyard. Some of these areas comprised the
World War II. Motor Transport Division, Civil Engineering Section
Health/PHI department etc. The Navy certainly
History tells us that the Royal Navy presence in provided employment to many individuals within
Ceylon came to an end in 1956, when Prime Minister the Trincomalee District. The passing out parades
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike requested the removal of all saw Rear Admiral’s Kadiragamar & Hunter grace the
British service personnel from the island. The dockyard occasion. Rajanathan "Rajan" Kadiragamar, MVO,
was taken over by the Royal Ceylon Navy and became ADC, RCyN (born 1922) was Sri Lankan Admiral. He
the home port for its newly established fleet. was the second Ceylonese Captain of the Royal Ceylon
Ceylon – as Navy from 1960 to 1970 and as such the longest
Sri Lanka was then serving Commander of the Navy. Rear Admiral D.V.
known – gained Hunter (born 1917) – was the Commander of the
Independence on Royal Ceylon Navy and Sri Lanka Navy from July 1970
February 4th, 1948 to March 1973.
from the British with Naval Ships (1960-1970)
no blood lost like what
happened in India.
Till then we were a SLNS Gajabahu (named after Gajabahu, a
Crown Colony in the former king of Sri Lanka) was a River-class frigate of
British Empire for a the Sri Lanka Navy. She has since been converted to
little over 150 years a training ship for the Naval & Maritime Academy,
after the British took Trincomalee. She was originally HMCS Hallowell of
over administering the Royal Canadian Navy, ex-Israeli Misnak, ex-HMCyS
the country from the Gajabahu) - former flagship, HMCyS Hansaya - Long
Dutch in 1796. patrol boat, MCyS Kotiya- Seaward defence boat-The
Ford-class seaward defence boats were built for the
Royal Navy (with three built for the South African
A Parliamentary Navy) in the 1950s. They were designed to detect
system of government and attack hostile submarines, including midget
based on the British
