SLESA convention on April 28

The annual convention of the General Council of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Association will be held on April 28 at 10 am at the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Institute, Vijithapura Hall.

All General Council members representing affiliated associations are invited.

SLNA - 33RD AGM

The Sri Lanka Naval Association held it’s 33rd Annual General Meeting on April 21. The following were elected as office-bearers for 2013/2014.

Patron: Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage, Vice Patrons: Admiral Deshamanya D B Gunasekara, Rear Admiral J Jayasooriya, Lt Cdr Somasiri Devendra; President: Rear Admiral S R Samarathunga, Vice President: Capt T B Ratnayake, Secretary: Lt Cdr Leonard Caldera, Assistant Secretary: K N Perera, Treasurer: H M S Jayawardane, Assistant Treasurer: R Nimalasena, Internal Auditor: Lt M A B Cooray, Advisory Committee: Cdr. Thilak Weerasinghe and Lt Cdr S Sudasinghe

Fifteen members were elected to the Executive Committee.

Memoirs of a War Veteran

Bogan Regiment takes Reichstag

The two pails contained alcohol and meat rice porridge with raisins. “You should have left the alcohol,” the others said. “No I shouldn’t,” Katkov retorted “today’s May Day”.

They laughed. Of course no one could eat that mixture, so they did not touch it. Nor, did they touch the alcohol. Medvedev, another man and Abyzov descended into the cellar after outpost duty.

It was already part midnight, and they were cold a wet through. As they entered the telephone began to buzz. Koselyov picked up the receiver. His reply was monotonous and brief. All their eyes turned towards him. He was shortish curly haired and tired looking wearing a baggy tunic of English cloth. They wondered what the orders might be. Would they (higher officers) order them to go out into the rain and the darkness? Handing over the receiver to the telephone operator Kiselyov sat down on a box saying “at two the artillery will start bombarding the Reichs-Chancellery. The bombardment will continue until five. At five we’ll attack. Until then you can rest”. Katkov was going to the battalion command post, so he asked them: “Have you any letters to post?”

Abyzov recalled that he had not written home for whole week.

Simanov gave him a piece of paper and a thick brown pencil. Sitting beside the telephone operator he wrote home that he was alive and in good health. Everything was well so far. Berlin was approaching its end.

Another assault and it will be all over. Abyzov folded the piece of paper into a triangle and wrote the address on it. He could not imagine at the time, the worry this simple soldier’s letter would plunge his mother and hopelessly sick father into. They received it on Victory Day. Everybody would be rejoicing and celebrating the victory. And this letter would tell Abyzov’s parents that there was one more assault. How would it end for their only son?

The first few shells burst at exactly 0200 hrs. Everything began to tremble and shake. Soil began to pour down from the ceiling. The flames of the candles wavered. The lids of the pails that the gawky Sergeant Major had brought jangled. Abyzov’s head buzzed, he could hardly bear the din. They were sitting and lying on the wood shavings in silence, avoiding looking one another in the eyes. Kiselyov alone was on his feet, walking back and forth. What was this good-natured man thinking about? He was no military man. Far from it about the forthcoming assault which they may not survive? About his family?

His school which he taught Russian and Literature? Up there in the open the artillery was thundering. Abyzov wished it would end sooner. At five it would be broad doing light and they would fight it out with three Germans’ to live or to die? Suddenly somebody said “shouldn’t we have some of the alcohol, Sergeant Major had brought?’. Someone wedged Abyzov in the side. He turned around and saw it was Simonov. “Still alive?” he asked. “I am Seva, I am” replied Abyzov.

They went out to the street together. Day was breaking. The sky was overcast with heavy clouds. It still smelled of brick dust and of something burning. Suddenly a gentle breeze began to blow from the Tiergarten. The familiar smells of the war acquired a faintly, hardly perceptible, smell. It was the smell of lilac in bloom.

To be continued …