Vajira: One of the first six to join Army Women’s Corps

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

COLOMBO: Major General Janaka Perera’s wife Vajira, 48, a victim of the suicide bomb attack in Anuradhapura yesterday, was an old girl of Vishaka Vidyalaya, Colombo.

She was one of the first six women officers to join the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps at the inception of the new unit. She was trained at the Women’s Royal Army Corps College in UK in 1980 and served in the Sri Lanka Army for a brief period.

She resigned from the Army in 1982 to get married to Major General Perera who held the appointment of Military Liaison Officer at the Defence Ministry at that time.

Vajira who was a housewife after marriage, rendered a great service to the military community as a military wife until Major General Perera’s retirement.

She accompanied her husband to Australia and Indonesia on him being appointed the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia and Indonesia. On completion of the diplomatic posts they returned to Sri Lanka. She was born on September 30.