H.W.G. Wijeyekoon
Encyclopedia
Major General
Hemachandra Wickrama Gerard Wijeyekoon, OBE, ED
, CLI (June 25, 1911 - ?) was a Sri Lanka
n military leader, and diplomat
. He was the second Ceylonese Commander of the Ceylon Army
from 1960 to 1963 and former Ceylon's High Commissioner to Pakistan and Ambassador to Italy.
, former President of the Senate of Ceylon
and Lady Wijeyekoon. Educated at St Joseph's College, Colombo and University of Oxford
gaining a BA
. Later he became an advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and became a Land Settlement Officer.
in the Ceylon Light Infantry in 1935. With the break of World War II
and the mobilization of the Ceylon Defence Force he began active service, being promoted to Captain
in 1940. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry and under went tactical training in India. In 1942 he was promoted to Major
and Lieutenant Colonel
in 1944 taking command of a battalion of the Ceylon Light Infantry. At the end of the war he was demobilized in 1946.
Following Ceylon's idependence in 1948 Prime Minister, D.S. Senanayake select Lt. Col. Wijeyekoon to serve as Secretary to the Chief Whip
in the House of Representatives.
With the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, Lt. Col. Wijeyekoon received commission in the regular army in 1950. He became the commanding officer
of the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Infantry Regiment which shortly became the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry and he went on to become the first commanding officer of the regiment. During this time he started the tradition of toasting the motherland or the queen with arrack
. In January 1954 he took up the post of Chief of Staff of the Ceylon Army and was promoted to the rank of Colonel
in 1954, becoming the commanding officer of the Task Force Anti-Illicit Immigration and was appointed as the first Commandant of the Ceylon Volunteer Force from 1956 to 1959. Several times during this period he was the acting commander of the army. In 1959 he was made a Brigadier
and Major General
in 1960, taking over as Commander of the Ceylon Army
. During his service he introduce Sinhalese
for parade ground commands and formed the Army Hewisi Band of oriental music. He retired from the army in 1963 following the 1962 attempt coup d'état of which he was not a part of.
For his military service he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
(Military Division) and received the Efficiency Decoration
for volunteer service. For wartime service, he had earned the War Medal 1939–1945
, and for service in the Ceylon Army, he received the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
and the Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
.
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...
Hemachandra Wickrama Gerard Wijeyekoon, OBE, ED
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
, CLI (June 25, 1911 - ?) was 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, and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He was the second Ceylonese Commander of the Ceylon 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 1960 to 1963 and former Ceylon's High Commissioner to Pakistan and Ambassador to Italy.
Early life and education
He was the eldest son of Sir Gerard WijeyekoonGerard Wijeyekoon
Sir Gerard Wijeyekoon was a Ceylonese politician. He was the first President of the Senate of Ceylon. His son Major General H.W.G. Wijeyekoon was the second Ceylonese Commander of the Ceylon Army.-References:...
, former President of the Senate of Ceylon
Senate of Ceylon
The Senate of Ceylon was the upper chamber of the parliament of Ceylon established in 1947 by the Soulbury Commission. The Senate was appointed/indirectly elected rather than directly elected. The Senate was housed in the old Legislative Council building in Colombo Fort and met for the first time...
and Lady Wijeyekoon. Educated at St Joseph's College, Colombo and University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
gaining a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. Later he became an advocate of the Supreme Court of Ceylon and became a Land Settlement Officer.
Military career
He was 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 Light Infantry in 1935. With the break of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the mobilization of the Ceylon Defence Force he began active service, being promoted to 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...
in 1940. He was posted to the 3rd Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry and under went tactical training in India. In 1942 he was promoted to 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. ...
and Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1944 taking command of a battalion of the Ceylon Light Infantry. At the end of the war he was demobilized in 1946.
Following Ceylon's idependence in 1948 Prime Minister, D.S. Senanayake select Lt. Col. Wijeyekoon to serve as Secretary to the Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
in the House of Representatives.
With the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, Lt. Col. Wijeyekoon received commission in the regular army in 1950. He became the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Infantry Regiment which shortly became the 1st Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry and he went on to become the first commanding officer of the regiment. During this time he started the tradition of toasting the motherland or the queen with arrack
Arrack
Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in South Asia and South East Asia, made from either the fermented sap of coconut flowers, sugarcane, grain or fruit depending upon the country of origin...
. In January 1954 he took up the post of Chief of Staff of the Ceylon Army and was promoted to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in 1954, becoming the commanding officer of the Task Force Anti-Illicit Immigration and was appointed as the first Commandant of the Ceylon Volunteer Force from 1956 to 1959. Several times during this period he was the acting commander of the army. In 1959 he was made a Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and 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...
in 1960, taking over as Commander of the Ceylon 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...
. During his service he introduce Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...
for parade ground commands and formed the Army Hewisi Band of oriental music. He retired from the army in 1963 following the 1962 attempt coup d'état of which he was not a part of.
For his military service he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(Military Division) and received the Efficiency Decoration
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
for volunteer service. For wartime service, he had earned the War Medal 1939–1945
War Medal 1939–1945
The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea...
, and for service in the Ceylon Army, 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...
, the 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...
and the Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
The Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal was awarded to members of the Ceylon armed services who served during specified periods in 1949-1951 during its establishment.-External links:***-References:...
.