EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

The Association of Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps Executive Committee Meeting will be held at the SLESA Secretariat on February 7 at 9am.

VISIT TO HOLIDAY HOME

Brigadier K A Gnanaweera, Hony Secretary General, SLESA visited the Holiday Home for Ex-Servicemen at Diyatalawa on February 2 and also visited the Uva Provincial Ex-Servicemen Association at Welimada and inspected the construction of new building.

On his return, he visited the Matale Ex-Servicemen's Association and Kandy Ex-Servicemen's Association and had cordial discussions with the officials about the future improvements.

EX-AIR FORCE WOMEN’s FUND RAISING LOTTERY

Sri Lanka Air Force Ex-Women's Association held the draw of the fund raising lottery on February 1 at the SLESA Secretariat. This was held in the presence of the President, Secretary General, SLESA and many other senior officials of SLESA.

The first three and the other consolation prizes are: 1st Prize 7735, 2nd Prize 13862 and 3rd Prize 10864.

Consolation: 11700, 5823, 7797, 10882, 8659, 12441, 8947, 6834, 6388 and 648.

ORDNANCE ASSOCIATION AGM

The 33rd Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Association will be held on February 24 at 10 am at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Institute, 29, Bristol Street, Colombo 1. Fellowship and lunch will follow the meeting.

EX-GEMUNU WATCH MEET AT VETERANS’ HOME

Gemunu Watch Ex-Servicemen Regiment last Committee Meeting for 2012 was held at the Veterans’ Home, Bolagala on February 3. The meeting was chaired by Vice President Lt Col A S Amarasekara. It was decided to have Annual General Meeting at Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Institute on March 10 at 9.30am. Other arrangements for the AGM were also discussed.

Memoirs of a War Veteran HERO HONOURED

However Ibraginoy proved to be extremely active and mobile, at the battle front. On the eve of the Soviet Summer offensive during the battle on the river Berezina, when the long suffering war ravaged, Byelorusia was at last fully liberated. Sniper Ibraghimov destroyed over 20 Nazi Officers and men. He was honoured with a combat order and his photograph was displayed on the notice board.

When Abyzov joined his outfit on the Western Bank of the river Oder he asked Kiselyov and Gorbunov to give him a similar weapon.

But they both said: “Take the submachine-gun now. We'll deal with your request later”.

They dug in and impatiently waited for darkness to set in, convinced that main reinforcements would arrive, then.

Their aircraft appeared over the Sealow Heights. Despite the artillery softening the slopes which was certainly a relief to them, they continued to sustain losses.

Their main loss was the Company Commander, Gorbanov whose reddish - Wheaten moustache had been the target of all their battalion wits. A motar shell exploded near him (Gorbunov) fracturing both his legs. Kiselyov, Yurka the musician, an Zherekov applied ligatures and bandaged his wounds. Now he lay quietly groaning, would he last till night fall?... They could see the tanks turn the heights from the south. As soon as it was dusk, the reinforcements arrived their rear echelon, trench motar crews, artillerymen and the combat engineers too.

They attacked the heights again, after having passed the night, somehow.

It was overcast on that day too. Low dark clouds floated over-head and it was raining. However the pilots managed to get to the Seelow heights and bound them many times over, ever-eloping the area in clouds of smoke and dust. They made steady though slow, headway.

The Germans defended their positions frenziedly although the Soviets still managed to force their way through the Nazi fire. They (Russians) moved from shell crater, from barely noticeable bump to another, closer and closer to Seelow.

The following morning the engagement was renewed with added force - this time it was the artillery men that distinguished themselves, especially Sergeant Major George Dyukin, anti tank gun crew Commander. He was with the division from the river Volga to the Oder. He had taken part in may gory battles but had never been wounded.

He opened accurate fire at the German weapon emplacements. Subsequently the crew dragged the gun further forward and higher up, yet it did not slip down such a steep slope.

Dyndynkin was honoured with the title, Hero of the Soviet Union, for distinguishing himself in action in the battles for Pozan, after the war.

The Katyusha rocket launchers struck early in the morning, the artillery began to rumble from beyond the canal and they broke into the Nazi held trenches.

To be continued .....