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The sixth Annual Service of Thanksgiving, Intercession and Remembrance for those currently serving, those missing and those killed in action will take place at the Chapel of The Transfiguration on November 2 at 5 p.m.

This Service will be followed by a Memorial Ceremony at the War Memorial Monument at the Big Club Grounds of the College.

This event which is organised by the Special Events Team of the Old Boy's Association, who together with the College, brings together a large section of the Thomian community.

All Thomian Service Personnel and their families, retired Thomian Service Personnel, families of Thomians missing or killed in action together with the Old Boys, present Schoolboys and well-wishers participate in this Event. The Event brings together in a very solemn and ceremonial manner, the full richness of the talents of the Thomian schoolboys as the College Prefects, the Choir, the Cadet Platoon, the Hewisi Band, the Western Band and the Scouts combine with the Army Band to create a moving and memorable event.

S. Thomas' College has had a very old tradition of military contribution to the Nation.

Initially this invaluable service was to the British Empire with 67 Thomians sacrificing their lives during World War 1:6 of them during World War 2 - and that too mostly as pilots of the British Royal Air Force and latterly in the Eelam conflicts in Sri Lanka where S. Thomas' College has given of her best who have laid down their lives for our country. S. Thomas' College also has a unique and proud distinction of having won one of the world's best known medals for exceptional gallantry - the Victoria Cross of the Britain.

This award was made posthumously to Lt Basil Horsefall. This is the only time that a Ceylonese has ever won that medal and is one of a number of 1370 that have been awarded from around 1875 to date.

Sons of STC have contributed very significantly towards independent Sri Lanka's own armed forces. The College has produced a number of former commanders of the Armed Forces and Police.

This impressive list includes Rear Admiral D. V. Hunter, Admiral H. A. Silva, Air Vice Marshal Paddy Mendis, IGPs Aleric Abeygunawrdena, Frank Silva and General Srilal Weerasooriya.

At present, Thomians in senior command positions include Air Marshal Donald Perera, Commander of the Air Force, Mjr General Lohan Gunawardena, Chief of Staff of the Army, Air Vice Marshal Lakshan Salgado, Chief of Staff of the Air Force and Mjr General Shantha Kottegoda, Deputy Chief of staff of the Army. General Ranjan Wijeratne and at present Thilak Marapana have held/are holding Cabinet appointments relating to Defence.

The objectives of this Special Event are to make sure that the scarifies made for our Motherland are not forgotten and that as a Thomian family that on Remembrance Day, that Thomians salute sons of the College who gave their lives for our tomorrows. This event also serves to bring all serving Thomians back to the core of STC which irrespective of multi-religious background, is the Chapel of the transfiguration.

A service of Thanksgiving for their special job roles is followed by prayer for those missing in action and not only for the families of all Thomian service personnel affected by the war, but for all families of those affected by war and violence in Sri Lanka.

The solemn service in the Chapel is followed by a Memorial ceremony at the War Heroes Monument at STC. The present Monument also installed by the Special Events Team is unique in that it blends with the character of what S. Thomas' College stands for and aspires to always be.

The new Monument which was installed a few years ago, stand on the original war memorial dedicated to those who died in World War I, which is the Big Club Grounds of the College.

This is in keeping with the thinking that high standards of honour, integrity and courage are inculcated in the playing fields of S. Thomas' College - which is perhaps testimony to the fact that most of those who are currently Missing or Killed in Action were outstanding Thomian schoolboy sportsmen ..... and the event on November 2 is to salute these sons of Lanka because S. Thomas' College has promised that "after the going down of the sun and in the morning".... that We Will Remember Them.

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