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Asoka de Silva (admiral)
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
A. H. Asoka de Silva, VSV
, ndc
, psc
, SLN (1931- December 22, 2006) was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
from 1983 to 1986. He was a Sri Lankan Ambassador
to Cuba
.
and one time superintendent of the De Soyza Maternity Hospital in Colombo
, Dr. A.H.T de Silva and Mrs. Beatrice de Silva (née Rodrigo -daughter of Mudaliyar
Thomas Rodrigo), Asoka was the third child of a family of eight members.
Educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo where he was the senior sergeant commanding the Royal College cadet contingent.
de Silva joined the then Royal Ceylon Navy as an Officer Cadet
, soon after leaving school in 1950. After completing his assault-training course he was sent to Britannia Royal Naval College
in Dartmouth
for basic training. There he became a Midshipman
and subsequently as an acting Sub Lieutenant
. In later years he would receive specialized training in communication at HMS Mercury
, thereafter attend the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and graduate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
and the National Defence College
, New Delhi
.
in 1955, Lieutenant Commander
in and 1963. From 1969 to 1970 he was the defence attaché, at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London before being promoted to Commander
in November 1970. After which he was the commanding officer HMCyS Gajabahu
the flag ship of the fleet and the Co-ordinating Officer of the Polonnaruwa District
during the 1971 Insurrection. He was the Naval Officer-in Charge of Trincomalee when he was promoted to the rank of Captain
in 1973 after which he was the Master of MV Lanka Kanthi of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation before becoming Chief Staff Officer (Operations). He went on to serve as the Co-ordinating Officer TAFII (East) and Director Naval Operations when on February 4, 1978 he was made Commodore
. July 1, 1979 he assumed duties as the Chief of Staff
at Naval Headquarters, SLNS Ranagala after which he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
. In June 1983 he was made Commander of the Navy, a post he would hold till his retirement at the age of 55, on 1 November 1986 at which point he became the first Sri Lankan Officer to be elevated to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Sri Lanka Navy. Simultaneously acting as the Commander -in-Chief of the joint Services Special Operations Command Headquarters established in Vavuniya
.
During his long career in the Navy he received the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
, the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
and clasp, President's Inauguration Medal
, the Purna Bhumi Padakkama
and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
Vice Admiral Asoka de Silva was also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Navy Sports Board and Chairman of the Defence Services Sports Board.
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...
A. H. Asoka de Silva, 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...
, 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...
, 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 (1931- December 22, 2006) 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 1983 to 1986. He was a Sri Lankan Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Early life & education
Born to a renowned surgeonSurgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
and one time superintendent of the De Soyza Maternity Hospital 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...
, Dr. A.H.T de Silva and Mrs. Beatrice de Silva (née Rodrigo -daughter of Mudaliyar
Sri Lankan Mudaliyars
Mudali was a colonial title & office in Sri Lanka. The Portuguese colonials created the Mudaliyar class in the 17th century by enlisting natives of different castes form the coastal areas, who were most likely to serve the Portuguese masters with utmost loyalty. The Dutch continued the practice of...
Thomas Rodrigo), Asoka was the third child of a family of eight members.
Educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo where he was the senior sergeant commanding the Royal College cadet contingent.
de Silva joined the then Royal Ceylon Navy as an Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
, soon after leaving school in 1950. After completing his assault-training course he was sent to Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
for basic training. There he became a Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
and subsequently as an acting Sub Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
. In later years he would receive specialized training in communication at HMS Mercury
HMS Mercury
Eighteen ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Mercury, or HMS Mercure, after the God Mercury, of Roman mythology:*HMS Mercury was a 6-gun galley launched in 1592 and sold in 1611....
, thereafter attend the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and 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....
and 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...
.
Naval career
In 1953 he was commissioned to the rank of Sub Lieutenant after completing basic training after which he was elevated to the rank of LieutenantLieutenant
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...
in 1955, 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 and 1963. From 1969 to 1970 he was the defence attaché, at the Sri Lanka High Commission in London before being promoted to 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...
in November 1970. After which he was the commanding officer HMCyS 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 fleet and the Co-ordinating Officer of the Polonnaruwa District
Polonnaruwa District
Polonnaruwa is a district in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 3,403 km²....
during the 1971 Insurrection. He was the Naval Officer-in Charge of Trincomalee when he was promoted to the rank of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in 1973 after which he was the Master of MV Lanka Kanthi of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation before becoming Chief Staff Officer (Operations). He went on to serve as the Co-ordinating Officer TAFII (East) and Director Naval Operations when on February 4, 1978 he was made Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
. July 1, 1979 he assumed duties as 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...
at Naval Headquarters, SLNS Ranagala after which he was promoted to the rank of 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"...
. In June 1983 he was made Commander of the Navy, a post he would hold till his retirement at the age of 55, on 1 November 1986 at which point he became the first Sri Lankan Officer to be elevated to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Sri Lanka Navy. Simultaneously acting as the Commander -in-Chief of the joint Services Special Operations Command Headquarters established in Vavuniya
Vavuniya
Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka. This town is situated in the Northern Province. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni....
.
During his long career in the Navy he received the 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...
, 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...
, 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....
and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
Vice Admiral Asoka de Silva was also the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Navy Sports Board and Chairman of the Defence Services Sports Board.