General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Hamilton Wanasinghe,
VSV (born 1935) was a Full General in the
Sri Lanka Army
ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம்
, image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png
, image_size = 180px
, caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army
, start_date ...
. He served as the 11th
Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1988–1991), third
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Joint Operations Headquarters (JOH) (at present referred to as the
Chief of the Defence Staff) (1991–1993) and
Defense Secretary
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
.
[http://www.dailynews.lk/2001/pix/PrintPage.asp?REF=/2012/04/10/fea10.asp]
Early life
Hamilton Wanasinghe was born in
Malwana Malwana ( si, මල්වාන ta, மல்வான) is a town of 36,050 (estimate as of 2011) inhabitants in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is situated on the banks of the Kelani River, 14 km north-east of Colombo. It is part of ...
, a suburb of
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
. He received his primary and secondary education at
Ananda College
''Appamādo Amathapadan''
(Buddhist quote from the Apramada Vagga in the Dhammapada)
, motto_translation = Heedfulness, Punctuality leads to Nirvana
, location = P De S Kularatne Mawatha
, city = Colom ...
. A keen sportsman, he was the sergeant major in the college cadet platoon. He was also an active member of the College rifle shooting team, which won many coveted trophies and then later, he joined the army. Wanasinghe also represented Ceylon Inter Dominion small bore rifle shooting competition.
Military career
Early career
He joined
Ceylon Army
ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம்
, image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png
, image_size = 180px
, caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army
, start_date ...
as an
officer cadet
Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air ...
in 1954 and was sent to the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...
for officer training. On completing his training he was commissioned as
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the
Ceylon Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The emblem of the SLA is modeled after that ...
in 1955. He was a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment when the
1962 attempt coup took place. Many of the officers of the three regiments of the Ceylon Artillery were implicated and Captain Wanasinghe gave evidence in the Trail-at-Bar of the accused that followed. He was transferred to the 4th Field Artillery Regiment following the amalgamation of the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment and the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment in 1963. He went on to serve the
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of the 4th Field Artillery Regiment with the rank of
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
from May 1979 to 1981.
Higher command
Promoted to
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
, he served as Commander, Task Force 4 Northern Command in
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
from January 1981 to December 1981. In 1982 he attended the
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College, located in New Delhi, is the defence service training institute and highest seat of strategic learning for officers of the Defence Service and the Civil Services. This is a very prestigious course attended only b ...
and on his return he was promoted to
brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
. Promoted to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
, he served as the first
colonel commandant,
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery (SLA) is the artillery arm of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of ten regular regiments and two volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.
The emblem of the SLA is modeled after that ...
, from September 1985 to March 1988 and thereafter served as the
Commandant of the Volunteer Force Commandant Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) has been the title of the head of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force. The post is held by a regular officer of the rank of major general and is the fourth senior position in the army. Commandant is i ...
.
Army Commander
He was appointed as the Army Commander on 15 August 1988 and served until 15 November 1991 and was promoted to the rank of
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
. When Wanasinghe took command the army was engaged in subduing
2nd JVP insurrection in the south of the island, while the
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lankan ...
(IPKF) was present in North and East of Sri Lanka. General Wanasinghe had the unprecedented task of maintaining cordial relations in a turbulent period. During his tenure he expanded the army and raised number of new units including special forces and established its sniper school, the army was able to crush the JVP leadership and insurrection completely, while it was able to recapture the Eastern Province and allow the elections to be held in the Eastern Province. The army carriedout several major operations in the Northern Province, including
Operation Balavegaya
Operation Balavegaya (Operation Power force) was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan military in Jaffna, the largest amphibious assault in its history. Operation Balavegaya was launched in response to the siege of Elephant ...
to relive the siege of Elephant Pass Army base through an amphibious operation and established a beach head at Vettalikerni to reach Elephant Pass camp. Indian Defence Review in 1991 reported that "Army Commander Lt Gen Hamilton Wanasinghe visited the battlefield frequently and narrowly escaped being killed. " Lt.General Hamilton Wanasinghe as the Commander of the Army risked his own life and was present at Elephant Pass rescue operation Balawegaya along with
Major General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and Task Force Commander Late
Brigadier Vijaya Wimalaratne.
Operation Balavegaya
Operation Balavegaya (Operation Power force) was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan military in Jaffna, the largest amphibious assault in its history. Operation Balavegaya was launched in response to the siege of Elephant ...
was launched in June 1991 with assistance of Sri Lanka Navy with an amphibious landing at Vetterlerkani which LTTE leader called it "Mother of All Battles". Victorious Sri Lanka Army troops broke the LTTE siege at Elephant Pass.
Joint Operations Headquarters
On relinquishment of the Commander of Army on 15 November 1991 he was promoted to the rank of
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
and appointed as the
general officer commanding (GOC) of the
Joint Operations Headquarters
The Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (OCDS) is the Sri Lanka Armed Forces operational level headquarters of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), responsible for coordinating joint armed force's operations. However the respective service com ...
(JOH) serving from 1991 to 1993.
Ministry of Defence
Thereafter he was appointed
Permanent Secretary
A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...
of the
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
on 6 June 1993 from which position he retired in February 1995. He had a rare distinction of holding all three key appointments of the Sri Lanka's Defence establishment at a time country faced southern JVP insurrection and LTTE Second Ealam War.
In November 1993 General Hamilton Wanasinghe facilitated the relief operation during the
Battle of Pooneryn
The Battle of Pooneryn (LTTE code-named ''Operation Thavalai Paachchal (Frog Leap)''), was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for ...
with an amphibious landing of Army troops assisted by the Navy.
Honors
He had been awarded the
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya (VSV, Distinguished Service Decoration) ( Sinhala: විශිෂ්ට සේවා විභූෂණය ''viṣiṣta sēvā vibhūṣaṇaya'') is awarded to senior officers of the Military of Sri Lanka in reco ...
(VSV) for distinguished service in the army, his other medals include the
Purna Bhumi Padakkama
The Purna Bhumi Padakkama ( Sinhala: පූර්ණ භූමි පදක්කම ''pūrna bhūmi padakkama'') was a service medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democ ...
,
Vadamarachchi Operation Medal
The Vadamarachchi Operation Medal ( Sinhala: වඩමාරච්චි මෙහෙයුම් පදක්කම ''vadamārachchi meheyum padakkama'') was a campaign medal presented to all ranks of the regular and volunteer forces of the Mili ...
,
,
Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal ( Sinhala: සන්නද්ධ සේවා දීර්ඝ සේවා පදක්කම ''ārakśaka sēvā dhīrgha sēvā padakkama'') was a service medal of Ceylon from 1968 to 1972. It was g ...
,
Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
The Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal was awarded to members of the regular and volunteer forces of the Military of Sri Lanka who were in service on 22 May 1972, subject to recommendation by the commanders of the respective service com ...
and the
President's Inauguration Medal __NOTOC__
The President's Inauguration Medal ( Sinhala: ජනාධිපති ධූරප්රාප්ත පදක්කම ''janādhipathi dhūraprāptha padakkama'') was a decoration of the Military of Sri Lanka, granted to all regula ...
.
In 2019, road in between his hometown
Malwana Malwana ( si, මල්වාන ta, மல்வான) is a town of 36,050 (estimate as of 2011) inhabitants in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It is situated on the banks of the Kelani River, 14 km north-east of Colombo. It is part of ...
and
Dompe was named ''General Hamilton Wanasinghe Mawatha''.
Family
He married Ira Beatrice Jayathillake, daughter of Wanasinghe Arachchige Elaris Perera Jayathillake Ralahamy, a close relative in 1960. Ira Wanasinghe was a school teacher, and they had five children. His son
Sanjaya Wanasinghe
Major General Sanjaya Wanasinghe RSP, VSV, USP, VSP (born 13 October 1968) is a retired general in the Sri Lanka Army. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, having served as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Commandant ...
was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Artillery when Wanasinghe was the Army Commander and became Major General of Sri Lankan Army.
Two of Hamilton Wanasinghe's nephews were killed in action serving in the Sri Lanka Artillery in 1993; Captain Nalin Jayatilleke (his wife's brother's son) was killed serving as forward observation officer in
Jaffna
Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...
and Major Panduka Wanasinghe (his elder brother's son) was killed in the
Battle of Pooneryn
The Battle of Pooneryn (LTTE code-named ''Operation Thavalai Paachchal (Frog Leap)''), was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for ...
. His son-in-law (and a nephew) Brigadier
Bhathiya Jayatilleka was killed in 2000 during the
Second Battle of Elephant Pass
The Second Battle of Elephant Pass (code-named Operation Unceasing Waves III (ஓயாத அலைகள் மூன்று) by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), was a battle fought in April 2000 for the control of the Sri Lankan mi ...
.
See also
*
List of Sri Lankan non-career Permanent Secretaries
This is a list of Sri Lankan non-career Permanent Secretaries; they are from different professions. The list includes doctors, engineers, journalists, professional politicians, university lecturers, lawyers, journalists, defence officers, and p ...
References
* Stolen stripes and broken medals by Muhammed Anver
* http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2010/10/30/sri-lanka%E2%80%99s-high-court-sentences-hicorp-director-five-years-ri
* http://www.ceylontoday.lk/15543-print.html
* http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2010/07/11/sec03.asp
* Indian Defence Review -1991
* Asiaweek – Volume 17, Issues 27-51 – Page lxxix
* CeylonToday -18.08.2017
External links
I SAID, ‘I AM THE ARMY COMMANDER NOT YOU’ Prabhakaran’s Tigers and Mandela’s Spears
The Sandhurst Collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wanasinghe, Hamilton
Sri Lankan full generals
Sinhalese military personnel
Commanders of the Sri Lanka Army
People from Colombo
Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Alumni of Ananda College
Permanent secretaries of Sri Lanka
Living people
1935 births
Sri Lanka Artillery officers
National Defence College, India alumni
People of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Indian Peace Keeping Force