SLESA ex-co meeting

The Executive Committee Meeting of the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Association will be held on May 30 at 3 pm at the Vijithapura Hall, Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen's Institute, 56, Bristol Street, Colombo 1.

Military Police Veterans’ Assn gifts consumer items

Military Police Veterans’ Association held a meeting at Mihindu Seth Madura, Attidiya recently and awarded some essential consumer items among disabled soldiers with the participation of Lt Col A S K Siyambaliapitiya.

A preliminary discussion to establish a branch for the benefit of it's members of the Galle and Matara areas will be held on June 15 at the Galle Cricket Club.

Sri Lanka Ex-Army Women's Assn new office-bearers

The Sri Lanka Ex-Army Women's Association held its Annual General Meeting on May 19. The following were elected office-bearers for 2013/2014. President : Lt Col M Koswatta, Vice Presidents: Maj F Atapattu and Mekala Gunasekara, Secretary: Kaman Kumaranayake, Assistant Secretary: W Dissanayake, Treasurer: D D N Amarasinghe and Assistant Treasurer: D Jayasinghe.

The event was attended by SLESA President Capt Patrick Jayasinghe who awarded certificates to the SLESA Net Ball Team, winners of the net ball tournament conducted by the Sri Lanka Netball Federation.

Memoirs of a War Veteran

Soviet Battalion Commander Meets Germans

The rain had stopped and acrid brick dust was still in the air. When they reached the outpost, Kiselyov shouted into the darkness, “who was asking for a Soviet Officer?”. The reply came from the other side of the street in Russian. “Truce envoys we have text of the statement of the Berlin Garrison Commander, addressed to Marshall Zhukov”.

“You may come over to this side with your hands up”. One of the men switched on a flash light. In its dim beam they saw several Germans with the white flag of truce. As they (Germans) were crossing the street to their side Kiselyov ordered Medvedev to go to the basement and inform the battalion commander. They met the Germans and surrounded them closely. “Search them,” Kiselyov said quietly.

The Germans were unarmed. They took them (Germans) to their cellar. There were four of them; three middle aged lean men in civvies, although one of them was wearing a uniform, his shoulder pieces showed through the overcoat. The fourth was boy in helmet. He belonged to the Volkesturn. The telephone operator reported to Kiselyov that the battalion Commander would arrive in a minute. One of the Germans were holding a big brown folder. Nodding at it, Kiselyov asked whether it contained the document. The Germans replied in the affirmative. “Give it to me” Kiselyov said. The German knit his brow, but yielded. Kisolyov put it on top of the box where the telephone was standing. He pulled at the string and opened the case. It contained papers tidily clipped together. One copy was typed in German and the other was hand-written in Russian. Kiselyov tried to read the handwritten copy. But his eye sight was not good enough. He turned it over to Abyzov and asked him to read it.

The paper said that the German Command is prepared to start negotiations on the cessation of hostilities. They did not know what the Germans have announced over the radio. That was precisely why the bombardment had stopped ahead of time. The paper confirmed in writing what had happened before. They knew now that the war was over. As Abyzov read out the paper he could not recognize his voice. He (Abyzov) could not understand easily. Perhaps because he was exited or because of the unbearable din in his ears. While he was reaching nobody uttered a single word. Finally he read, the signature Wielding. Kiselyov took the sheets away from Abyzov and put them neatly back to the folder and returned it to the man where the over coat betrayed his shoulder pieces.

Kopayev rushed into the cellar. He was followed by Chenelcha the regimental young communist League Organizer, and someone else. “Follow me,” he said to the Germans. They went up the steps one by one after him.

Before leaving the cellar Kopayev called out: “Kiselyov you are not to remove the men from the forward edge!” They stood in silence more stunned by what had just happened then by all the preceding engagements, together and all the artillery preparations and air raids.

To be continued ....