Y. Balaretnarajah
Encyclopedia
Major General
Y. Balaretnarajah, VSV
, USP
, ndc
, SLAC
is a Sri Lanka
n military leader, he was the Chief of Staff
of the Sri Lanka Army; Commandant
of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
; GOC
, 1 Division; Brigade Commander of the Armoured Brigade, 21 Brigade, 24 Brigade and Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna.
and at the Jaffna College
. Joining the Ceylon Army in November 1959, he received his basic officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. He had completed the Armour Young Officers Course of the British Army
at the Royal Armoured Corps Training Centre and Advance Armour Officers Course of the Indian Army
. He is also graduate of National Defence College, India
.
in the Ceylon Armoured Corps on December 21, 1961. He served as a Troop Leader of the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Officer Instructor at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa and a Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters
and Northern Command Headquarters during the 1971 Insurrection before returning to the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment as a Squadron Commander with the rank of Captain
. Promoted to the rank of Major
he was the Deputy Commandant, Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa before becoming a Staff Officer in the Logistics Command with the rank of Leiutenant Colonel.
As a colonel he headed the Logistics Command as Director Logistics and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier 1986. With the out set of the Sri Lankan Civil War
and the insurrection 1987-89
he raised and commanded the 24 Brigade. Soon thereafter he was appointed brigade commander of the 21 brigade based out of Jaffna, before becoming the Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna
. During this period he also raised and commanded the armoured brigade and functioned as the first armoured brigade commander.
In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Major General
and was appointed as the GOC
, of the Sri Lanka Army's 1 Division. Thereafter he was appointed as Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
before becoming the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. He had also served as the Regimental Commander of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. He retired from the army with the rank of Major General, in October 1992. He was the President of the Armour Veteran's Association and Vice Patron of the St Johns College Jaffna Old Boys Association South Sri Lanka.
Major General Balaretnarajah has been awarded the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
, Uttama Seva Padakkama
, Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
, Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal, President's Inaguration Medal, and the Purna Bhumi Padakkama
.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Y. Balaretnarajah, VSV
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan senior military officers of three services, given that their loyal service is of not less than 25 years and possess a perfectly flawless record of moral and military conduct, will be appropriate for the award...
, USP
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, ndc
NDC
NDC or ndc may refer to:*IATA code for Nanded Airport, India* ndc, "name daemon control program" in some Unix-based BIND name-server environments* N.D.C., a 2002 single by Australian band Jebediah* National Defence Commission of North Korea...
, SLAC
Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps is currently a collection of six regular regiments and a volunteer regiment. It has an independent Armoured Brigade and provides the armour capability of the Sri Lankan Army, with vehicles such as the T-55, T-55AM2, and Type 69 main battle tanks, the BMP infantry...
is a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n military leader, he was the 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 Sri Lanka Army; Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force is the principal and Volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard of the Sri Lankan Army. The SLAVF is made up of part-time Officers and soldiers paid at a similar rate,...
; GOC
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
, 1 Division; Brigade Commander of the Armoured Brigade, 21 Brigade, 24 Brigade and Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna.
Education
Born July 22, 1939 he was educated at the St. John's College, JaffnaSt. John's College, Jaffna
St. John's College is a boys private school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1823 by British Anglican missionaries.-History:...
and at the Jaffna College
Jaffna College
-See also:* List of schools in Northern Province, Sri Lanka* Uduvil Girl's College* Union College-External links:* * * *...
. Joining the Ceylon Army in November 1959, he received his basic officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. He had completed the Armour Young Officers Course of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
at the Royal Armoured Corps Training Centre and Advance Armour Officers Course of the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
. He is also graduate of National Defence College, India
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...
.
Military career
After completion of basic officer training Balaretnarajah commissioned as a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Ceylon Armoured Corps on December 21, 1961. He served as a Troop Leader of the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Officer Instructor at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa and a Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters
Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...
and Northern Command Headquarters during the 1971 Insurrection before returning to the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment as a Squadron Commander with the rank of Captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
. Promoted to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
he was the Deputy Commandant, Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa before becoming a Staff Officer in the Logistics Command with the rank of Leiutenant Colonel.
As a colonel he headed the Logistics Command as Director Logistics and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier 1986. With the out set of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
and the insurrection 1987-89
Insurrection 1987-89
The 1987-89 insurrection in Sri Lanka, in which around 50,000 lives were lost, was carried out by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, a Marxist Sinhalese political party in Sri Lanka.-Leadup to conflict in the 1980s:...
he raised and commanded the 24 Brigade. Soon thereafter he was appointed brigade commander of the 21 brigade based out of Jaffna, before becoming the Commander, Security Forces, 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...
. During this period he also raised and commanded the armoured brigade and functioned as the first armoured brigade commander.
In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and was appointed as the GOC
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
, of the Sri Lanka Army's 1 Division. Thereafter he was appointed as Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force is the principal and Volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard of the Sri Lankan Army. The SLAVF is made up of part-time Officers and soldiers paid at a similar rate,...
before becoming the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. He had also served as the Regimental Commander of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. He retired from the army with the rank of Major General, in October 1992. He was the President of the Armour Veteran's Association and Vice Patron of the St Johns College Jaffna Old Boys Association South Sri Lanka.
Major General Balaretnarajah has been awarded the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan senior military officers of three services, given that their loyal service is of not less than 25 years and possess a perfectly flawless record of moral and military conduct, will be appropriate for the award...
, Uttama Seva Padakkama
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, 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...
, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal shall be granted to All regular officers and other ranks of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force, who complete 12 years continuous service and whose character and conduct have been irreproachable and who are recommended by their...
, Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal, President's Inaguration Medal, and the Purna Bhumi Padakkama
Purna Bhumi Padakkama
The Purna Bhumi Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the military of the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Police, who have served in the districts of:* Jaffna since July 22, 1977....
.