Denis Perera
Encyclopedia
General
Deshamanya
Joseph Everard Denis Perera, VSV
, FCMI
, ndc
, psc, SLE
(10 October 1930 -) was a Sri Lankan Army officer who served as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army
from 1977 to 1981.
. He is married to Ranjini Perera and has three sons: Kavan, Dinesh and Druvi. His eldest son, Kavan Perera, is married to Dushyanthi nee Seneviratne the daughter of General
Nalin Seneviratne
and the have two daughters, Kamani and Dayani. His second son is married to Shakila Chandratilleke, and they have three sons, like Denis himself, Shanil, Chalana and Meshan. His youngest son, Druvi, is married to Tanojie Samarasinghe and they have two sons Avindra and Shivendra. His grandsons oftentimes show keen interest in joining the army themselves. Denis and Ranjani adore their grandchildren, who now live all over the world.
in the Ceylon Army. Thereafter he attended the Royal School of Military Engineering
and served for some time with a unit of the British Army of the Rhine
. On his return he was stationed at the Diyatalawa
garrison
, taking part in the formation of the new engineering unit and later moved to the newly built Panagoda Cantonment
in 1953, where the Ceylon Engineers was formed in 1957. During the next few years he graduated from the British Army
’s Staff College, Camberley
.
During his career he had been attached to several Sri Lankan High Commissions and had been the Military Attaché
of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London. He had served as the Chief of Staff
prior to being appointed as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army
in 1977, as the youngest officer to be promoted to the post at age of 46 and first engineering officer. He would hold this post till 1981 when he retired from the army with rank of Lieutenant General
.
During is turner as the army commander, he play pivotal role in establishing the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy
(KDA) after receiving Kandawala
from Sir
John Kotelawala
to establish a defence University. For establishing the KDA he was made a Fellow
of the Chartered Management Institute
of the United Kingdom
and the Institute of Management of Sri Lanka. KDA awarded him a Doctor of Letters
(Honoris Causa) and he was made its first Chancellor
a post he currently holds.
He was the first office to be awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
(VSV) for over 25 years of distinguished service in the army, his other medals include the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
and the President's Inauguration Medal
.
to Australia – which also include New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. He was the Chairman (non-executive) of the Securities & Exchange Commission, Ceylon Tobacco Company, Blackwood Hodge Engineering and GTE Directories Lanka. He founded the Association Of Retired Flag Rank Officers in which he continues to be very active; he was the President of the National Rifle Association and the Sri Lanka Badminton Foundation; and a committee member of the Sports Shooting Association.
In 2000 he was awarded the title of Deshamanya
by the Sri Lankan government, and in 2007 promoted to the rank of General
.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
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....
Joseph Everard Denis Perera, 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...
, FCMI
Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes...
, 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, SLE
Sri Lanka Engineers
http://fieldengineers.lk/The Sri Lanka Engineers a combat support arms of the Sri Lanka Army which provides combat engineering. It is made up of ten Regular Regiments and one Volunteer Regiments. Headquartered at Army Cantonment, Panagoda...
(10 October 1930 -) was a Sri Lankan Army officer who served as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army
Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...
from 1977 to 1981.
Early life and family
Born to Mudaliyar Maurice Perera and his wife Trisette, he was the youngest in the family with an elder sister and was educated at St Peter's College, ColomboSt Peter's College, Colombo
St. Peter's College is a distinguished boys only primary to secondary school in the Bambalapitiya zone of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1922....
. He is married to Ranjini Perera and has three sons: Kavan, Dinesh and Druvi. His eldest son, Kavan Perera, is married to Dushyanthi nee Seneviratne the daughter of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Nalin Seneviratne
Nalin Seneviratne
General Ganegoda Don Granville Nalin Seneviratne, VSV, ndc, SLE was a Sri Lankan Army officer. He was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1985 to 1988 and first Governor of the North East Province....
and the have two daughters, Kamani and Dayani. His second son is married to Shakila Chandratilleke, and they have three sons, like Denis himself, Shanil, Chalana and Meshan. His youngest son, Druvi, is married to Tanojie Samarasinghe and they have two sons Avindra and Shivendra. His grandsons oftentimes show keen interest in joining the army themselves. Denis and Ranjani adore their grandchildren, who now live all over the world.
Military career
Joining the newly formed Ceylon army on his 19th birthday, he received his training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and was commissioned as 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 Army. Thereafter he attended the Royal School of Military Engineering
Royal School of Military Engineering
The Royal School of Military Engineering is the main training establishment for the British Army's Royal Engineers. After they have successfully completed their Phase 1 - Basic Soldier Training, members of the Corps of Royal Engineers attend 3 RSME, at Minley for Phase 2a - Combat Engineering...
and served for some time with a unit of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. On his return he was stationed at the Diyatalawa
Diyatalawa
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...
garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
, taking part in the formation of the new engineering unit and later moved to the newly built Panagoda Cantonment
Panagoda Cantonment
Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...
in 1953, where the Ceylon Engineers was formed in 1957. During the next few years he graduated from 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...
’s Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
.
During his career he had been attached to several Sri Lankan High Commissions and had been the Military Attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
of the Sri Lankan High Commission in London. He had served 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...
prior to being appointed as Commander of the Sri Lankan Army
Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...
in 1977, as the youngest officer to be promoted to the post at age of 46 and first engineering officer. He would hold this post till 1981 when he retired from the army with rank of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
.
During is turner as the army commander, he play pivotal role in establishing the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...
(KDA) after receiving Kandawala
Kandawala
Kandawala was the home of General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala CH KBE LLD was a Sri Lankan politician, most notable for serving as Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956...
from Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
John Kotelawala
John Kotelawala
General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala, KBE, CH, KStJ, CLI was a Sri Lankan soldier and politician, most notable for serving as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1953 to 1956....
to establish a defence University. For establishing the KDA he was made a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Chartered Management Institute
Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Institute of Management of Sri Lanka. KDA awarded him a Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
(Honoris Causa) and he was made its first Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
a post he currently holds.
He was the first office to be awarded 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...
(VSV) for over 25 years of distinguished service in the army, his other medals include 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...
, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
It is ordained that the medal shall be awarded to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the Armed Service of the Republic of Sri Lanka, including officers but excluding those in the ranks of the Ceylon Cadet Corps, who were in service on the 22nd May 1972 and who are recommended by the...
and the 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...
.
Later years
Following his retirement from the army he lived a very active life, he was appointed Sri Lanka’s High CommissionerHigh Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to Australia – which also include New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. He was the Chairman (non-executive) of the Securities & Exchange Commission, Ceylon Tobacco Company, Blackwood Hodge Engineering and GTE Directories Lanka. He founded the Association Of Retired Flag Rank Officers in which he continues to be very active; he was the President of the National Rifle Association and the Sri Lanka Badminton Foundation; and a committee member of the Sports Shooting Association.
In 2000 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 Sri Lankan government, and in 2007 promoted to the rank of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
Honours
- In 2007 the Government of Sri Lanka promoted him to the honorary rank of GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. - ChancellorChancellor (education)A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityGeneral Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityGeneral Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...
. - He was awarded the title DeshamanyaDeshamanyaDeshamanya 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....
from the Government of Sri Lanka in 2000. - Vishista Seva VibhushanayaVishista Seva VibhushanayaThe 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...
- 1981 - FellowFellowA fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Chartered Management InstituteChartered Management InstituteThe Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes... - FellowFellowA fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Institute of Management – Sri Lanka.