How the Gemunu Watch does SL proud

Brigadier Hiran N. Halangode RWP RSP USP (Retired)

The pioneer Battalions of the Gemunu Watch were first awarded President’s and Regimental Colours by President JR Jayewardene on August 15,1980 at the Galle esplanade. The historic ramparts of the Galle Fort provided a fitting backdrop to the ceremony which was well attended by a large and appreciative Ruhuna citizenry. It is a unique honour that three Gemunu Watch battalions have been awarded colours on one occasion. The Gemunu Watch today consists of 23 battalions.

The re-awarding of Colours, a singular honour for 50 years of selfless, loyal and honourable service to the nation by the Gemunu Watch will reinforce the pride, esprit d’ corps and sense of duty of all 17,424 all ranks of 23 battalions of the Gemunu Watch. It is a matter of pride that four of the Army’s 15 Param Weera Vibushana (PWV) medals for conspicuous bravery were awarded to one officer and three soldiers of the Gemunu Watch.

The First Battalion was raised by late Brig John F. Halangode VSV on December 7, 1962 in Diyatalawa. The 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion was raised on October 1, 1964, in Galle under the command of Major D.S. Amarasuriya whilst the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion was raised in Matara under the command of Lt.Col C.A. Dharmapala on September 1, 1965.

Historical background

The use of flags for recognition of the combatants on a battlefield dates back to antiquity. The use of flags, or Colours, in most Armies is today purely ceremonial. However their importance to the morale and espirit de corps of individual Regiments of Infantry cannot be underestimated.

While other Regiments have used flags, none with the exception of Guidons used by Cavalry and Armoured Regiments, have had the official status of the Colours of an Infantry Regiment. In the past Colours were considered a Regiment’s most prized possession. The loss of the Colours was an unbearable disgrace. Soldiers sacrificed their lives defending their Colours, or attempting to recapture Colours that had been lost in battle.

The British Army

The use of Colours in the British Army extends to well before the mid 1700s, yet it was the 'Regulations for the uniform Clothing of the Marching Regiments of Foot, their Colours, Drums, Bells of Arms and Camp Colours' published in 1747 that marked their use in the modern sense. Prior to this time, commanders of individual Regiments (called Colonels) were free to place their own personal heraldic devices on flags and other devices on units under their command.

The use of flags at this point in time still served a very tactical purpose; the flags were carried into battle and used to identify a Regiment’s positions and also mark a rallying point should the Regiment become disrupted in battle. Therefore, the 1747 regulations attempted to codify the use of flags in order to standardize their appearance and ensure that they continued to be a useful means to identify friendly troops.

From this point on, then, a 'standard of Colours' came to refer to two flags as carried by a single Regiment of Infantry. (As Regimental organizations changed over the years, and these Regiments began to be split into multiple battalions, each battalion would receive its own standard of colours).

King’s Colour (or Queen’s Colour) - referred to in the 1747 Regulations also for the first time as the First Colour, this flag identified the battalion belonging to the British Army and represented loyalty to the reigning sovereign. The design of the flag was the Great Union flag. In Sri Lanka it is known as the President’s Colour and its design is based on our national flag.

Regimental Colour - this flag, also referred to in the 1747 Regulations as the Second Colour, was considered junior to the King’s Colour. It identified the Regiment to which the battalion belonged. The flag was generally to be in the 'facing colour' of the Regiment so as to be easily identified. By regulation, the Union flag was to be placed in the upper canton. In our case it was the Regimental flag of the Gemunu Watch.

The use of flags in ancient Ceylon

Each colour was to be decorated with Roman numeral’s in gold, either painted or embroidered, indicating the Rank of the Regiment. In our case the National flag and the Unit flag have been embroidered in silk incorporating the unique local characteristics of each flag.

The use of banners as a rallying point and as a mark of identification was not unknown during the rule of our own kings. In war, the banners carried with heraldic devices or those with plain fields of a single colour were the national banner of the king, those of Chieftains of the Dissawes on whom it was incumbent to provide the King with certain numbers of soldiers who offered their services on a feudal system of land tenure (Rajakariya), those of the higher echelons of office-bearers of the state, and provincial banners.

“The great Standard of the King, borne in front of the array by nobles of a particular clan appointed for that service, was followed by the banners of the different departments of state and of the provinces. The Monarchs of Lanka, even when their dominions comprehended only the island, styled themselves as Maharajas, Emperors or Overlords, because of the several kingdoms and provinces into which the island was divided. In the North, the principality of Jaffna, ruled by a Tamil Dynasty, bore on its banner Gemini holding a lyre in memory of the tradition that peninsula was granted as a guerdon (reward) to a blind musician from the Malabar Coast that played before one of the earlier Lanka Monarchs. The eighteen Vanni (forest) districts, overrun and ruled by South Indian Chieftains, had their distinctive ensigns. One of the Chronicles (Mahavamsa, Chap 88, v89) notes that, in the 13th century, Prince Wijayabahu presented the emblems of the Maha Vanni districts to its princes. The Southern kingdom, Ruhuna, so called after one of the Buddha’s cousins, bore an elephant of the small species to be found in the region, a number of which formed its tribute to the Overlord.

The province of Hatara Korale had within a border the Sun, Moon and Stars, a flag which legend carries back to the wars of Rama. The banners of the Tun Korale and Nuwara Kalawiya provinces displayed mythical creatures: the former a peculiar double headed eagle and the latter an elephant-lion. Other districts had other devices such as a peacock, a leopard, a swan, a bear, a lotus or fields of a single colour. The flags of the state departments were suggestive of their different duties. The Kuruwe department had an elephant banner to which the Master of the Elephant was entitled, and the Chief State Secretary bore a flag with a palm leaf register.

In war people were marshaled under these different banners by the Governor of each Province or the head of each department. It was the same in the annual reviews and religious pageants, a custom followed to this day at the great Kandy Perahera.

This system was extinguished at the end of Kingship in Lanka when it became a colony of the British in 1815. The British system of the award of Colours which had developed into the grant of two Colours to a Regiment in the 18th Century manifested itself in Ceylon in the 20th Century, on April 22, 1922, when the Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Light Infantry(Volunteers) were presented with a British Sovereign’s Colour and a Regimental Colour.

The President’s Colour

The blazon of the President’s Colour would be the National flag which is embroidered in silk and will be of the dimension of 44” (inches) long X 36” wide. The colour gold represents the Sangha that acted as guide, mentor and advisor to the ancient kings, whilst the colour crimson indicates immortality. On the centre of the two strips of saffron and green would be the Armorial crest of Sri Lanka whilst the Heraldic Lion holding a gold sword in its right paw would be depicted on a crimson background. The colour saffron represents the Tamil community whilst the colour green represents the Muslim community. The four Bo-leaves in gold at the four corners depict the noble qualities of Metta, Karuna, Muditha and Uppekka (meaning loving kindness, compassion, join others in happiness and equanimity) whilst a gold border runs round the flag. Gold tassles run right round the flag, enriching its quality and adding a regal look to it.

The Regimental Colour

The Regimental Colour will be the flag of the Gemunu Watch which will be embroidered in silk and be of a similar dimension (44” X 36”). The regimental flag of the Gemunu Watch depicts the ancient martial traditions of our history and is associated with the famous warrior king, Gamini Abaya or Dutugemunu. The flag is a symbol of the ideals associated with King Gemunu and the 'Peacock' which is the unit emblem. The significance of the colours and its symbols are as follows.

Gold - is considered the colour of Ruhunu Rata the birthplace of King Gemunu and the area where he prepared for combat with his 10 'Yodayas' (Giants) who were his Generals.

Red - is the colour of victory in combat which is depicted in most flags.

White - is the colour of innocence and purity. It symbolizes conquest not only in the battlefield but also over self.

10 Blue Pennants - represents symbolically the 10 Generals of King Gemunu. Blue welds the triple associations of King Gemunu, God Skanda and the Peacock.

Sun and Moon - it symbolizes ancient royal lineage and was found on King Gemunu’s royal banner to signify eternity. It also represents the Gemunu Watch soldier’s duty maintaining a watch over the country both by day and by night.

'Velayudas' or Spears - were commonly used during battle by King Gemunu’s warriors. The carriage of spears by a body of warriors heralded the arrival of a member of the royal family.

The Peacock - symbolized the association of God Skanda’s use as a vehicle and the pride of the bird in full plumage is depicted on the centre of the unit flag and also on the unit cap-badge. The motto of the Gemunu Watch is in Pali and is inscribed below the peacock emblem as 'Ma Nivattha Abikkama' meaning 'Tarry not Forward'. The unit numerical is inscribed below the unit emblem on the Regimental Colour.

Pike and the Pike Head - The Pike is of hardwood and is 8’ long with brass fittings at both ends. The Pike Head is fixed to the top of the pike and consists of the Armorial crest of Sri Lanka, the Army crest and four Gemunu Watch crests of the peacock in full plumage at its base. The pike head is made of gold plated brass.

The Colour Party - consists of two Colour Ensigns (two subalterns) who carry the President’s and Regimental Colours. The senior of the two would carry the President’s Colour and command the Colour party. A Warrant Officer and two Colour Sergeants provide the guard to the Colours and escort the Colours on parade. They would carry their personal weapons which are the T 56. They have a scarlet sash across their chest.

Form of the parade

The troops will march on to the parade square and form up according to regimental seniority led by the First Battalion, followed by the Second (Volunteer) and Third (Volunteer) battalions of the Gemunu Watch. The Colours of the three Battalions will be formed up on the side of the parade square and would be presented arms before being ordered to take up positions by the Parade Commander.

Once the Colours are positioned amongst the respective guard companies of their battalions they would await the arrival of the President (and Commander in Chief). The parade then presents arms after which the Parade Commander reports to the President and requests his permission to carry on with the parade. Clergy representing the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim faiths will then bless the Colours. The Colours are then presented to the three battalions by the President. Subsequently the President will address the parade and state the reason for re-awarding Colours to the Gemunu Watch.

The Colours will then be trooped by their respective battalions. On completion of the trooping of colours the parade will march past the President in slow and quick time. The parade will then advance in review order and present arms to the President who will receive the salute before departing. Finally the parade will march off the parade square preceded by the respective Colour parties.

The old Colours would be laid up in an appropriate place in the battalion and given due recognition and protection at all times. The new Colours will be kept in a prominent place in the Officers' Mess in a special glass enclosed cabinet. Colours will be saluted by all ranks of the Army whenever they are paraded. It will be paraded at all future military ceremonials of the battalions.

It is significant to note that the new Colours was blessed at a ceremony at Kataragama on the evening of August 15, 2012, which had been practised as an uninterrupted custom by the First Battalion for the past 31 years. All battalions of the Gemunu Watch have done their duty commendably in protecting the honour, safety and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, its people and the regiment. The Gemunu Watch lost 4,175 killed (KIA) while 2,831 were permanently wounded (WIA) in battle.

It is their sacrifice, courage, endurance, devotion to duty, love of country, comradeship and the will to survive in the face of fearful odds that is being honoured and rewarded by the presentation of Colours. No greater honour could have been bestowed by the President on the Gemunu Watch than re-awarding Colours.

It honours first the men of the Gemunu Watch who laid down their lives in the performance of their duties to the nation and their comrades, obedient to their regimental code and with unremitting courage. It also honours their next of kin who bore the burden of battle, those who were wounded and over 25,000 of the regiment, beginning from its visionary founder Commander Lt Col (later Brigadier) JF Halangode who gave of their best in the prime of their life doing their duty without question, loyal to the regiment and country, served selflessly without expectation of reward and brought great honour to their regiment, true to its motto 'Tarry not Forward'.

You cannot choose your battlefield,

God does that for you,

But you can plant a standard,

Where a standard never flew.

Stephen Crane - 'The Colours'