Ex-Services News

Corporate Plan for SLESA

The President of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Association will initiate the formulation of a corporate plan to widen the scope of activities and benefits to the membership.

This will be taken up at a preliminary discussion on December 17 at 16pm at the SLESI Board Room.

Veterans Home Silver Jubilee

The Veterans Home run by the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Association completes 25 years of unique service to needy ex-servicemen.

There are 30 residents with a capacity to provide accommodation for 20 more, mainly due to the vast overall improvements made during the past few years.

The board has decided to accept female members as residents and to develop infrastructure to meet this requirement in the future.

The SLESA executive committee has also decided to establish an advisory board to assist in the sustainable development, good governance and transparency in running the affairs of this home.

The advisory board comprises Major General Tilak Paranagama, Lt Cdr Somasiri Devendra, Rear Admiral D S Molligoda, Daphne Perera, Quintus Andradi and Air Vice Marshal Shriyan Samararatne.

All former chairmen and resident managers will be co-opted. Present chairman Rear Admiral S R Samaratunga will act as the convener.

Sri Lanka Ex-Air Force get-together 2012

The Sri Lanka Ex-Air Force Association will hold its annual get-together on December 16.

The committee has organized a motorcade, dog show, arrival of Santa Claus, music dancing and fun activities.

The Air Force beat group will be in attendance and the dancing troupe will also perform with the good offices of Air Force Commander Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama.

Engineer Services Assn meeting in Anuradhapura

The Sri Lanka Army Engineer Services Association Executive Committee held its monthly district committee meeting at 2nd Engineer Services Regiment, Tissawewa, Anuradhapura.

At the meeting, the serving soldiers were also informed of the welfare activities undertaken by the ex-servicemen's and the engineer services associations.

Later, they visited Jayasiri Mahabodhiya, Ruwanwelisaya and Sandahiru Maha Chetiya being constructed by the Engineer Services Corps. The following day, they visited the Rajamahaviharaya Thanthirimalai.

Dennis Cooray passes away

Captain Dennis Cooray, an active member and a pioneer of the CRNVR Association and the Sri Lanka Naval Association who was in his nineties passed away recently. Cooray who joined the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force as a sub lieutenant in 1942 then transferred to CRNVR and was subsequently absorbed to the Royal Ceylon Navy.

He was instrumental in amending the CRNVR Association constitution along with late Lt Cdr. P N L Mendis and Lt Cdr Somasiri Devendra to accommodate post WW II ex-servicemen, which has ensured the continuity of the Association.

At the time of his demise, he was a Vice Patron of the CRNVR Association, SLNA and Naval Logisticians Association.

Memoirs of a War Veteran

On a damp April night on the eve of the offensive, Abyzov and his colleagues were silently waiting in the dug-out they had built in the foundations of a demolished manor which was packed with men about a fortnight before the cellar has been flooded, as the river Oder was nearby.

Their bedding was smelling of decaying hay and a few other soldiers were also found snoring on it.

However Abyzov could not sleep. He leaned back on the wall, sitting on a groundsheet.

He was keen to write a letter home but was unable to do so as he had neither paper nor pencil.

There was another boy writing a letter sitting on a crate with the aid of an improvised wick lamp. Abyzov was waiting for him to finish, but he was thinking more than writing, and it appeared that he would never end.

His name was Yuri Razuvayev also popular as Yurka, the musician who was an expert at playing the mouth organ. Suddenly the flame of the lamp trembled.

Three men entered. Vasya Medvedev a Muscovite was among them. They were carrying submachine guns and their quilted jackets were sodden and helmets were glistening with moisture.

Medvedev said: "I told you we should have organised a stove in a dugout without stove in a grave".

"We'll get warm tomorrow.

It will be as hot as the Sahara," Yurka the musician said. Medveder seemed tired, and approached the crate with the lamp and sat on a lower crate nearby, rubbing his aquiline nose asked Yuri: "Writing a letter to the Sultan of Turkey?" "Actually I am writing a protest letter to a divisional newspaper," he said.

The other two who entered with Yuri were discarding their weapons and soggy clothes.

"What are you laughing at," Yuri asked, good naturedly.

They keep saying that the distance to Berlin is 70 Km.

When I was at the Battalion headquarters, I checked the distance myself on the map and its only 66 Kilometers Do you see? One of them said.

"You are silly," Medvedev said.

"You are wrong here. Just think of the four extra kilometers in an offensive mean. Just think of the casualties.

I want precision and accuracy. The people must know that there will be fewer killed in action."

Medneder took a long hard look at Yurka the musician and then addressing generally asked.

"Does anybody have a drop of snapps? Even just a drop. I feel bit feverish," he said.

To be continued ...