Our Navy celebrated her 75th birthday on 9 December 2025. His Excellency the President has been kind enough to award the “75th Anniversary Commemoration Medal” to all serving members of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN).
On 9 December 1950, Parliament passed the Navy Act, and we consider that day as the beginning of our own Navy. Presenting the Act to Parliament on 3 December 1950, Sir Ukwatta Arachige Jayasundara, KGMC, KBE, QC, the first General Secretary of the United National Party (UNP) and Leader of the Senate, famously said: “We have an Army and Air Force! We must have a Navy also.”
If you are interested in the genesis of the Navy, please search for “We Must Have a Navy” by Lt Commander Somasiri Devendra. It is an e-book freely available on our Ministry of Defence website, published by this great naval historian during the celebrations of the 65th Anniversary of the SLN in 2015—when I was Navy Commander, and at my request. Sadly, Lt Commander Somasiri Devendra passed away in June this year at the age of 92.
May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana.
Today, I am going to write about our present-day Navy: the officers and sailors who carry out their duties silently. The Navy is considered the “Silent Service” because they work away from the public eye and media attention.
When Cyclone Ditwah hit our shores with strong winds and very heavy rain—over 500 mm in some places—the Navy activated Operation Cloudburst, a Standard Operating Procedure developed after the major flooding of 2016.
All units, including the 4RS (Rapid Response and Relief Squadron) based in Gange Wadiya next to Wilpattu National Park in the Puttalam District, the Naval Commando Unit—the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) in Trincomalee—and the Diving and Salvage Unit (consisting of highly skilled deep-sea divers), along with their equipment and boats, were on high alert to respond at very short notice.
The Rapid Action Boats Squadron was raised by my batchmate Rear Admiral Rohan Amarasinghe, under the guidance of the then Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda (later promoted to Admiral of the Fleet), on 1 March 2007 with volunteers from the SLN (initially 5 officers and 18 sailors, later expanded into a full squadron by 2009) to support the SBS in small-boat operations.
After the completion of Humanitarian Operations in May 2009, this unit (RABS) was renamed 4RS and trained for disaster relief and flood-relief work under the guidance of the then Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Neil Rosayro, in 2011. We established a training school for 4RS in Gange Wadiya, Eluwankulam, Puttalam, and 4RS became the first responders during any flood situation. They were trained by both local and foreign experts.
On the evening of 27 November, when the Kala Oya was overflowing with floodwaters and tank spill-water, a bus heading to Jaffna carrying 68 passengers became stranded on the Kala Oya Bridge on the Puttalam–Anuradhapura Road. The ferocious flooding threatened to wash away the bus, which carried 68 passengers, including a foreign tourist (a Dutch national) and the Magistrate of Jaffna. A small team of RABS sailors stationed near the bridge immediately responded with their small rubber boat and transferred everyone safely to the roof of a nearby house. Their timely evacuation saved the lives of these innocent passengers.
Within moments, floodwater levels rose above the stranded bus.
The next phase of the operation was to move the passengers from the rooftop to a safer area.
Air support was requested. An Mi-17 helicopter was airborne, but the pilots were concerned about hovering over the roof that held 68 people. Any damage to the roof would have resulted in losing everyone. Air operations were cancelled, and elite SBS personnel and naval divers were deployed from Trincomalee to handle the situation. The Director General Operations of the Sri Lanka Navy—a former 4RS Commanding Officer—knew the limitations of the 4RS personnel. They had done their best, and their rubber boat had also been damaged. Naval Headquarters knew that the SBS would accomplish the task; they are a proud unit with the motto “Fortune Favours the Brave.”
They departed Trincomalee at night, approached the area from the Nochchiyagama side—avoiding flooded regions of Anuradhapura—and immediately began the mission. Two highly decorated young SBS officers, Lt Commander Gamhewa (a former Personal Security Officer of mine) and Lt Commander Gunathilake, led the team. They were the best the SLN could have assigned for this difficult operation.
By the time they arrived, it was late on the night of the 27th. The Kala Oya, swollen with heavy rain and floodwaters, was flowing ferociously. Our SBS personnel attempted to reach the rooftop where the passengers and two 4RS sailors were trapped. Another 4RS sailor had been washed away with the boat but managed to climb a coconut tree and survive.
The mobile phone of one of the 4RS sailors was the only communication link, and he updated the situation periodically.
Even the powerful outboard motors (OBMs) with the SBS team lacked sufficient power to reach the location.
Lt Commander Gamhewa then did something no one else had thought of. When he served with me, I always told him: “The best sense is common sense.” He asked a villager to guide them across the flooded rice fields, where the water flow was not as strong.
What a great idea to save the day!
With guidance from this 41-year-old farmer—who volunteered to accompany the SBS personnel in their boats under Gamhewa’s leadership—they reached the location where the passengers were stranded. Gamhewa made another wise decision: to begin the evacuation only after first light.
By the morning of the 28th, the naval divers led by another brave young officer, Lt Commander Weerasinghe, had also arrived.
At first light on the 28th, they worked together to evacuate everyone safely. Army personnel then transferred all passengers to the Nochchiyagama Base Hospital. All 68 lives were saved, although sadly one passenger later died of hypoxia.
The evacuation operation was observed by His Excellency the President, the Defence Secretary, and the Service Commanders from the Army Headquarters Operations Room via a WhatsApp video link sent by Security Force Commander (Wanni), Major General Pradeep Kulatunga.
The Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, must have been very proud of his men that day. Bravo Zulu to the SLN!
We should not worry about the safety and security of our maritime nation when we have such brave, intelligent, courageous, and dedicated officers and sailors.
I feel this operation is the greatest gift the SLN has given the nation for its 75th Anniversary celebrations.
Long live the SLN!
Comment: Gallantry medals are awarded only for military actions; however, one medal—Weerodara Vibhushanaya (WV)—may be awarded for bravery and valour in non-military activities such as saving lives. I personally feel that these brave men should be awarded the WV.
