SLESA ex-co meeting

The executive committee meeting of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Association will be held on April 5 at 3pm at the SLESI Vijithapura Hall, No 29, Bristol Street, Colombo 01.

Ex-co meeting - medical corps

Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps Executive Committee Meeting will be held on April 6 at 10 am at the SLESA Secretariat, 29 1/1, Bristol Street, Colombo 1.

Sri Lanka National Guard AGM

The Sri Lanka National Guard Ex-Servicemen's Association will hold it's Annual General Meeting on April 6 at 9.30 am at No 31, Bishop Lakshman Wickramasinghe Centre (next to Imperial Cinema) Kandy Road, Kurunegala.

Ex-co meeting - Engineering Services

The Sri Lanka Army Engineering Services Association Executive Meeting will be held on April 7 at 10 am at the SLESA Secretariat, 29 1/1. Bristol Street, Colombo 1.

Army Pioneer Corps AGM

The Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps Association held it's 11th Annual General Meeting on March 31. The following members were elected office - bearers for 2013/2014.

Patrons: Col. M P Perera, Lt Col DN Alawathugoda, Capt R Dharmaratne; President: Lt Col D M Amarakoon; Vice President: Lt Col S U L Giganage; Secretary: D H L Perera, Assistant Secretary: H M A Premaratne, Treasurer: V Nayoor. Thirteen members were also appointed for the Executive Committee.

Memoirs of a War Veteran

VICTORY

They jumped into the square in front of the railway station, late that night, and ran along a seemingly endless asphalted area. A machine-gun was firing on their left. Someone was shooting flares into a sky that was already illuminated by raging fires. Firing at the glass walls they forced their way into it. "Follow me!" Sorokin was shouting short of breath from running and excitement. They rushed up the stairs to the second and third floors.

Germans were firing at them from the top. But the Russians out numbered the Germans. The men running in front did not see those that fell below. In the billiard room candles were burning. Slumped over the green cloth of the table with yellow billiard balls on it was the body of a German General, a pistol in his hand. He had committed suicide.

The engagement was subsiding Abyzov had run out of ammunition. Feeling for the straps of the haversack on his (Abyzov's) shoulders he suddenly realized that he had left it in the shelter. "Idiot !" he said to himself, everything he had was in it; a pair of new footcloths, ammunition and the silver cigarette case the battalion Commander had given him.

He rolled down the stairs, flew out into the square where he saw artillerymen at work. He stumbled over something and fell, then started running again.

There was the entrance to the shelter at last. His feet were carrying him there of their (feet) own accord. Stop! Perhaps it was wrong one - the one Ivanov rushed into by mistake. Taking a look around he saw it was their cellar all right. Switching off his flash light he descended into the shelter and found his haversack. He had to get back in a hurry. Crossing the square he saw their outfit deploying along the hall of a street leading to centre of the city.

"Forward Comrades Forward!"

The long street receded somewhere into the darkness. Tankers and artillery were supporting them in the attack. As he (Abyzov) pressed the trigger he felt the submachine gun leap into life.

But he could not hear any shots for the roar of the artillery and the rumble of tanks. He saw the dark silhouette of the tanks ahead of him. Where did it come from?

Before he realized what had happened it started firing - a German tank. There it was right in the middle of the street, firing at their (Russian) tanks. It fired another round. Then he saw the fiery trail of a flying faust-patron. It set the German tank on fire. But their T-34 tank went up in flames too.

They took the ground floor of building on the corner. There was a strong small of lavender and puddles, on the floor together with a lot of broken glass. It was a barber shop.

To be continued ....