Basil Gunasekara
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Deshamanya
D. Basil Gunasekara, ndc, psc
, SLN (7 May 1929 - ) was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
from 1973 to 1979.
, Galle
and then at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo where he was a senior cadet of the Royal College Cadet Contingent, a champion athlete and played Cricket for Royal College.
Gunasekara first joined the Ceylon Police Force as a Sub-Inspector of Police on the recommendation of DIG Sydney de Zoysa
, Director of Police Training. However he resigned three years later to join the Royal Ceylon Navy as a direct entry Sub Lieutenant in 1951 and received his training at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich followed by specialized training at Portsmouth
and Plymouth
. On his return to Ceylon he was assigned to HMS Newfoundland, flag ship of the Royal Navy
's East Indies Fleet. Later he graduate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
in 1963 and was the first Sri Lankan officer to attend the National Defence College
, New Delhi
in 1972.
. In 1955 he was given his first command of a small base at Talai Mannar. During the 1958 communal riots he was sent to command the HMRCyS Tissa in Trincomalee
which was the home of the Ceylon's Naval Fleet. Thereafter he underwent ASW
at HMS Osprey in Portland
. Making Lieutenant Commander
in 1962 and he was a extra ADC
to Governor General in 1965.
From 1964 to 1970 as a staff officer at the Naval Headquarters in Colombo before taking up command as the command of shore establishments in Colombo
and Jaffna
. In 1970 Commander Gunasekara was appointed Captain of HMRCy Gajabahu
the flag ship of the Royal Ceylon Navy. He became Chief of Staff
of the Navy in 1971 and played a major role in during 1971 JVP Insurrection, when naval personal were deployed for shore duty to help the Army and Police in suppressing it.
In 1973 he was appointed as Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
, promoted to Rear Admiral
and would hold the post for three years retiring in 1979, with the rank of Vice Admiral
. During this time his Flag Lieutenant was Lieutenant
(later Vice Admiral
) Wasantha Karannagoda
, who is the current Commander of the Navy.
During his long career in the Navy he received the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
and clasp, President's Inauguration Medal
and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral
along with 9 other former service commanders.
of Ceylon Match Company for 12 years and Chairman, State Development and Construction Corporation for seven years. He was awarded the title of Deshamanya
by the President of Sri Lanka
for his services rendered to the country. At present he is the President of the Association of Flag rank Officers (ARFRO).
of Galle
, E.D. Nagahawatta in 1953 and they have four children Sriyanga, Piyal, Kapila and Ranil. Piyal joined the navy and went on to achieve the rank of Commander
before retiring after 20 years of service.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Deshamanya
Deshamanya
Deshamanya is the second highest Sri Lankan national honour awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a civil honour.It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardee's name....
D. Basil Gunasekara, ndc, psc
Psc
psc were the initials which appeared in the service lists denoting that a British Army officer had attended the Staff College, Camberley or, prior to 1956 and Pakistani independence, the Command and Staff College, Quetta...
, SLN (7 May 1929 - ) was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
from 1973 to 1979.
Early life & education
Born to a planter in Katana, Asoka was the youngest child of a family of five members. Educated at Mahinda CollegeMahinda College
Mahinda College is a Buddhist boys' school in Galle, Sri Lanka. It is a national school, which provides primary and secondary education. The school was established on March 1, 1892 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
and then at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo where he was a senior cadet of the Royal College Cadet Contingent, a champion athlete and played Cricket for Royal College.
Gunasekara first joined the Ceylon Police Force as a Sub-Inspector of Police on the recommendation of DIG Sydney de Zoysa
Sydney de Zoysa
Sydney de Zoysa was a Sri Lankan senior police officer. A former Deputy Inspector General of Police of Range II and Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Internal Security, he was one of co-conspirators of the attempted military coup of 1962.Born to Sir Francis de Zoysa, KC an Advocate and...
, Director of Police Training. However he resigned three years later to join the Royal Ceylon Navy as a direct entry Sub Lieutenant in 1951 and received his training at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich followed by specialized training at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. On his return to Ceylon he was assigned to HMS Newfoundland, flag ship of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's East Indies Fleet. Later he graduate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
Wellington Cantonment
Wellington is a cantonment town in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. It is the Regimental Centre for the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army. One of its most famous residents was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who died in the town on June 27, 2008....
in 1963 and was the first Sri Lankan officer to attend the National Defence College
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College of India, located in New Delhi, is an institution of higher learning of the defence forces of India. The institution was inaugurated on 27 April 1960 and is the only military institution in the country that imparts knowledge on all aspects of national security and...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in 1972.
Naval career
Gunasekara's first duty station was as training officer in the Naval Training Establishment at HMCyS Rangalla in DiyatalawaDiyatalawa
Diyatalawa is a garrison town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, in the Badulla District of Uva Province. It is at an altitude of and has become a popular destination for local holiday makers...
. In 1955 he was given his first command of a small base at Talai Mannar. During the 1958 communal riots he was sent to command the HMRCyS Tissa in Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
which was the home of the Ceylon's Naval Fleet. Thereafter he underwent ASW
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
at HMS Osprey in Portland
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
. Making Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in 1962 and he was a extra ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Governor General in 1965.
From 1964 to 1970 as a staff officer at the Naval Headquarters in Colombo before taking up command as the command of shore establishments in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
. In 1970 Commander Gunasekara was appointed Captain of HMRCy Gajabahu
SLNS Gajabahu
SLNS Gajabahu was a River class frigate of the Sri Lanka Navy. She has since been converted to a training ship for the Naval & Maritime Academy, Trincomalee.-History:...
the flag ship of the Royal Ceylon Navy. He became Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the Navy in 1971 and played a major role in during 1971 JVP Insurrection, when naval personal were deployed for shore duty to help the Army and Police in suppressing it.
In 1973 he was appointed as Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
, promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and would hold the post for three years retiring in 1979, with the rank of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
. During this time his Flag Lieutenant was Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
(later Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
) Wasantha Karannagoda
Wasantha Karannagoda
Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda RSP, VSV, USP, MBA, MSc, ndc, psc, DISS, PISS, MRIN, MNI, SLN was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy and current Sri Lankan Ambassador to Japan. Before serving as the Commander of the Navy he commanded four Operational Naval Commands on seven occasions...
, who is the current Commander of the Navy.
During his long career in the Navy he received the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal was a service medal of Ceylon from 1968 to 1972. It was granted to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Ceylon Army, Royal Ceylon Navy and Royal Ceylon Air Force, who complete 12 years service as defined in the regulations of the respective warrants...
and clasp, President's Inauguration Medal
President's Inauguration Medal
The President's Inauguration Medal was granted to all regular officers and other ranks of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force, but excluding those in the ranks of the Sri Lanka Cadet Corps, who were in service on the 04th February 1978 and who are recommended by the Commander...
and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
along with 9 other former service commanders.
Later life
After retirement, he served as General ManagerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of Ceylon Match Company for 12 years and Chairman, State Development and Construction Corporation for seven years. He was awarded the title of Deshamanya
Deshamanya
Deshamanya is the second highest Sri Lankan national honour awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a civil honour.It is conventionally used as a title or prefix to the awardee's name....
by the President of Sri Lanka
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...
for his services rendered to the country. At present he is the President of the Association of Flag rank Officers (ARFRO).
Family
Admiral Gunasekara married Clara Nagahawatte, a daughter of an former MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, E.D. Nagahawatta in 1953 and they have four children Sriyanga, Piyal, Kapila and Ranil. Piyal joined the navy and went on to achieve the rank of Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
before retiring after 20 years of service.