45 years ago, on 1st Nov 1980, twelve youths selected from thousands of applicants boarded the night mail train bound to Trincomalee to commence their training as Cadets at the Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee, except one whose travel was delayed by one week. This batch was the 9th Intake of Cadets to be trained at this prestigious Naval Academy located at the Naval Base, Trincomalee.
Now everyone in this batch has retired, except one who paid the supreme sacrifice for the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our beloved country on 2nd June 1985 at Naval Detachment Kuchchuweli, late Lieutenant Gamini Fernando, an outstanding sportsman from St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala. So, everyone agreed to have our 45th Batch Get-together at Naval Base, Trincomalee. As usual, Rohan was the Chief Organizer, with Dushyantha helping with logistics. Chanka, Christie, and Damitha travelled from Australia, USA, and UK respectively to be with us. It was a great gathering on the evening of 1st November 2025, with some of our charming ladies joining.
When all others travelled by road to Trincomalee, I could not join them due to unforeseen circumstances and decided to travel to Trincomalee by night mail train on 31st October, the same way we travelled 45 years ago, and started typing this article on my iPhone.
45 years ago, we travelled in an unreserved 3rd class compartment as Cadets; but today I am travelling as a retired 4-star Admiral in a reserved first-class air-conditioned compartment!
Our batch consisted of Marine Engineering Cadet Mahesh Goonesekere, outstanding sportsman from St. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia (who had College colours in five sports), Executive Cadet Shirantha Udawatta from Panadura Sri Sumangala College. Shirantha was the oldest in our batch. Executive Cadet Damitha Vitharana, outstanding Anandian athlete, who jumped 6 feet 2 inches when his height was only 5 feet 10 inches and was also a great 110-meter hurdler. He was the youngest in the batch. Executive Cadet Rohan Amarasinghe from De Mazenod College, Kandana, a Sri Lanka Schools soccer player, Engineering Cadet Shiran Rathnayake from Isipatana College and handsome like a Hindi film star, Executive Cadet Rohana Perera, outstanding soccer player from Kingswood College, Kandy, Executive Cadet Gamini Fernando, an outstanding volleyball player from St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala, Engineering Cadet Thilak Senaratne from Panadura Sri Sumangala, Executive Cadet Chanaka Rupasinghe from Richmond College, Galle, Logistics Cadet Roshan Fernando, a Royalist and outstanding public schools athlete. Roshan’s elder brother, Shermal Fernando, was in our senior batch, 8th Intake. Logistics Cadet Dushyantha Amaranayake, a Nalandian cricketer, and myself. Cadet Christie Jayawardena from St. Anthony’s College, Wattala, lost his father (who was an airline pilot) on the day we travelled to Trincomalee and joined us later.
I had no idea of joining the Navy. My intention was to join the Army. But Roshan insisted at College that the Navy was better than the Army and that I should come with him. However, my school friend Sajith’s father was the Chief of Staff of the Navy at that time (late Admiral Asoka De Silva – an outstanding Navy Rugby player in the 50s). What I knew from my friend Sajith was that Navy officer training was very difficult!
We were received at Trincomalee railway station by a smart Burgher Petty Officer, who introduced himself as “Petty Officer T. I. Eanus, your Divisional Petty Officer,” clad in a white uniform with white peaked cap and shoes, tall and strong with a perfect body like a Greek God. His commanding voice and crisp English surprised us, and I started wondering if “Petty Officer” is like this, how would the Officers be that we are going to meet in the Navy!
The vehicle waiting for us to carry us from Trincomalee railway station to the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) was a six-wheeler open truck. Our trip ended up at the “Gun Room”, but there were no guns.
Petty Officer Eanus started teaching us the “Naval terms”. The Gun Room is the Junior Officers’ Mess. Dinner in the Navy is known as Supper. Lunch is known as Dinner! The left side is known as the Port side. The right side is known as the Starboard side. Toilets are known as Heads! “What?” somebody asked. “Toilets are known as Heads! From tomorrow you are not going to the toilet; you go to the Heads to shit! Understood!” Petty Officer Eanus said.
“Yes, Sir!”
“Another caution! You do not say ‘Yes Sir!’ in the Navy! That is the Army! We say ‘Aye Aye Sir!’” We shouted “Aye Aye Sir!” “Another caution! You do not say ‘Sir’ to a Petty Officer. You say ‘Sir’ only to Officers! So, when I give an order, you say ‘Aye Aye Petty Officer!’”
It was utter chaos and confusion!
“This is the Navy!” Petty Officer (Wireless Instructor) Tony I. Eanus later in the service earned his commission in the Navy Volunteer Force and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before his retirement.
I should say the Navy’s food was delicious and plenty. Charlis was our civilian helper who brought our food from the Kitchen; in the Navy known as the Galley. Washing, cleaning and laying food was our task. “Mess men” were detailed from the batch. Everyone was keen to be the mess man as all untouched leftover food belonged to them. Charlis helped us in this work. He was a kind man who lived outside the Naval Base.
That evening our Assistant Divisional Officer came to the Gun Room when we had just started to have our Supper using fork and spoon. He was a dashing Sub Lieutenant who had just returned from the UK after completing his International Sub Lieutenant Course at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and HMNB Portsmouth with flying colours. His dedicated teaching started with “how to eat with fork and spoon – in Royal Navy way”. Bad enough, few of my batchmates had a proper meal that night.
Sub Lieutenant Dushantha Chelliah was an outstanding cricketer and hockey player and a Navy coloursman in both sports. He was a great teacher and used to follow us on his newly purchased motorcycle when we were doing long runs. Thanks to his persistence, we became good runners soon. Dushantha Chelliah served in the Navy for 22 years and migrated to the US on a green card with his family.
Our tough time was with MCPO (G.I.) Rathnatunga and his assistant (later gained commission and rose up to Lieutenant Commander) Leading Seaman M. B. C. A. Mendis. Mr. Rathnatunga ensured we were smart in drill. Being a Lance Sergeant in school cadeting, I was selected to be Parade Commander most of the days. After a few days, I realized that the Parade Commander is never inspected for uniform and polishing brass parts and boots. I conveniently neglected polishing when others were working hard at night and then volunteered to do duties of Parade Commander the next morning at the Parade Ground and thereby escaped from dress inspections until I was caught red-handed by Mr. Rathnatunga (Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO), the senior-most rank for sailors, also called “Mister”). After one hour of extra drill, Mr. Rathnatunga’s advice to me was not to repeat it and not to follow the easy way to go to the top!
He must have seen something in my eyes (blue eyes??) and his advice helped me in my service career to reach the pinnacle of the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka.
Roshan did not like the Navy and within two months he left and joined the Sri Lanka Police. He did extremely well in the Police and STF and became a Senior Inspector General of Police prior to retirement recently.
We met our Divisional Officer at our classroom in the Nautical School. He was an old Anandian, Navy Soccer Captain, Lieutenant (G) Sarath Weerasekara (later Cabinet Minister). We loved him. His easygoing approach and excellent orations both in Sinhala and English, with glimpses of our history, inspired us to work hard and love our country. His knowledge of Buddhism and history was outstanding. He entered politics on his retirement after serving as Chief of Staff of the Navy and Director General of the Civil Defense Force and became a Member of Parliament and Minister for Public Security.
Lt (N) Daya Dharmapriya was our Navigation Instructor. Our foundation to be safe and good navigators in Sri Lankan and foreign waters was laid at No. 2 classroom in the Nautical School by Lt Dharmapriya. He rose to the rank of Rear Admiral and was the first Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard.
Our Physical Training team was led by MCPO (PTI) P. P. R. De Silva, an outstanding swimming and high-board diving instructor, who ensured we all became good swimmers. Mahesh and Gamini were good swimmers, Mahesh being a coloursman in swimming at St. Thomas’, Mt. Lavinia. Later Mr. Silva became an excellent coach at Sugathadasa Stadium and Otters Swimming Club, where he trained my son also. He passed away a few years back. May his soul Rest In Peace.
Three months of training in the Academy was followed by sea training on the old Chinese Shanghai-class gunboat SLNS Ranakamee, where we met another outstanding young officer, Sub Lieutenant J. S. K. Colombage, who had just returned from BRNC Dartmouth. He was super fit at that time. After sports in the evenings at the Naval Base grounds, we were challenged by S/Lt Colombage to run up to Two-Fathom Jetty, where our ship was berthed (approx. 5km run). When Rohan and Gamini took that challenge seriously and others followed them, Mahesh and I stopped halfway, changed into walking, and then had a ‘plain tea’ at a civilian canteen by the wayside. No matter how much Rohan and Gamini tried, they could not beat S/Lt Colombage. He became the 18th Commander of the Navy, Professor, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador to Indonesia.
It is extremely sad that the other officer who trained us during Cadet-time sea training, S/Lt (then) Malawaraarachchi, an outstanding swimmer from Ananda College, Colombo, and the first SLN officer to be awarded the Wira Wickrama Vibushanaya (WWV) (the highest gallantry medal awarded for living persons) for leading a brave seaborne landing at the besieged Army Detachment at Velvetiturai (VVT) in 1986, sadly passed away a few months ago due to sudden illness. May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana.
Mahesh was outstanding in studies and sports. He became the best cadet of our batch and won all prizes other than two at our Passing Out Parade. He received the coveted “Sword of Honour” for Best Cadet of Intake 9. Damitha won the Best Sportsman Award for his athletics achievements and Gamini became Best Marksman. It’s ironic that Gamini died in action in Kuchchuweli, Trincomalee District in 1985, the first Sri Lanka Navy officer to die in action during the Eelam War.
The Passing Out Parade (PoP) of the 9th Intake of Cadets at the Naval and Maritime Academy Parade Ground was held in December 1981. Mahesh led the batch. The Chief Guest was Air Force Commander (then) Air Vice Marshal Dick Perera, VSV.
45 years is a long time.
When we look back, 45 years out of 12, eleven were fortunate enough to survive our 36-year-long internal conflict, which ended in 2009. All got married and had children (so, the fear we had of getting exposed to Decca 110 radar waves whilst on punishment at the Crow’s Nest of the old gunboat making us infertile is a myth! – However, I can remember wearing more than three underwears before climbing to the Crow’s Nest to protect the important anatomy of the body!)
Out of twelve, four – Damitha, Chanaka, Christie, and Shiran – opted to retire early and migrated. All four are doing very well. Those who decided to remain until the retirement age of 55 years – five became (two-star) Rear Admirals (Mahesh, Rohan, Rohana, Thilak, and Dushyantha). Three headed their respective branches in the Navy (Mahesh and Thilak – Marine Engineering Branch, Dushyantha – Logistics Branch).
Rohan has the unbroken record of being the first to marry, have a child, and have a grandchild of the batch. Myself, second in order of merit as a Cadet from the Executive Branch, one week older than Damitha, retired last, as I was fortunate enough to serve in active service up to 58 years of age as a four-star Admiral (Chief of Defense Staff – the highest position in the Sri Lanka Military).
If our batch has done well in the Navy, the credit should go to our instructors at NMA when we were Cadets, who laid a very strong foundation for our careers.
I always remember the wise words of MCPO (G.I.) Rathnatunga at the NMA Parade Square in 1980 – “Cadet Wijegunaratne! There are no shortcuts to the top!”
I wish good health, wealth, and happiness to all 9th Intake officers and their families.
Sincerely hope we will bat up to half a century!
