M. H. Gunaratne
Encyclopedia
Brigadier
M. H. Gunaratne, VSV
, psc, SLAC
(1930 - ) was a Sri Lanka
n military officer, former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East
(SF HQ (E)), Commander, Task Force I and Task Force III and Commandant, Army Training Centre
Educated at St Peter's College, Colombo
, Royal College, Colombo and graduated from the University of Ceylon
. Gunaratne joined the army was commissioned in to the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
in 1957 as a Second Lieutenant
.
Serving with the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment as a Troop Leader he went on the serve as a Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
. Later he became the commanding officer of the 4 (V) Design Ceylon Engineers; Army units in Mannar
; Echelon Barracks
; Army units in Jaffna
; Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps
and the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.
Becoming the Deputy Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
, he was made the Commander, Task Force I (South) during the Insurrection 1987-89 and thereafter the Commander of Task Force III (North and North Central) with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War
.
He was appointed Commandant of the Army Training Centre, then Director, Budget and Financial Management and later Military Secretary
at the Army Headquarters
. Promoted to the rank of Brigadier
he was appointed as Principal Staff Officer of the Joint Operations Command
and thereafter Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East
Brigadier Gunaratne was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College in India
. He was awarded the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
(VSV), the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
and the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
.
After his retirement he became the Chairman of the State Timber Corporation.
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....
M. H. Gunaratne, 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...
, psc, 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...
(1930 - ) 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 officer, former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East
Security Forces Headquarters - East
Security Forces Headquarters – East is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Eastern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades...
(SF HQ (E)), Commander, Task Force I and Task Force III and Commandant, Army Training Centre
Sri Lanka Military Academy
The Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....
Educated at St Peter's College, Colombo
St 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....
, Royal College, Colombo and graduated from the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
. Gunaratne joined the army was commissioned in to the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
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...
in 1957 as a Second Lieutenant
Second 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...
.
Serving with the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment as a Troop Leader he went on the serve as a Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
Ministry of External Affairs and Defence
The Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was a ministry of the Government of Ceylon that conducted and managed all of Ceylon's relations with other countries and its military matters from 1947 to 1977.-History:...
. Later he became the commanding officer of the 4 (V) Design Ceylon Engineers; Army units in Mannar
Mannar, Sri Lanka
Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
; Echelon Barracks
Echelon Barracks
Echelon Barracks was a former military barracks situated in Colombo fort, Colombo. Build during the late nineteenth century as headquarters of the British Army Garrison of Ceylon, it was occupied by the newly formed Ceylon Army, following independence....
; Army units in 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...
; Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps
Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps
The Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps is a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. Established as manpower reserve to be utilized in times of strikes and union action to maintain the functionality of essential services and other state functions, other such units that existed then and has since been disband...
and the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.
Becoming the Deputy 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,...
, he was made the Commander, Task Force I (South) during the Insurrection 1987-89 and thereafter the Commander of Task Force III (North and North Central) with the escalation 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...
.
He was appointed Commandant of the Army Training Centre, then Director, Budget and Financial Management and later Military Secretary
Military Secretary (Sri Lanka)
Military Secretary is a senior position in the General Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, the post is a head by a senior officer of the Major General rank. The Military Secretary's Branch is responsible for handling all matters pertaining to officers such as promotions, postings and discipline of the Sri...
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...
. Promoted to the rank of 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....
he was appointed as Principal Staff Officer of the Joint Operations Command
Joint Operations Command
The Joint Operations Command is the supreme organ for the coordination of state security in Zimbabwe. It was established by the Rhodesian government and co-ordinated the counter-insurgency war in the Rhodesian Bush War as well as military incursions into neighbouring countries such as Mozambique...
and thereafter Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East
Security Forces Headquarters - East
Security Forces Headquarters – East is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Eastern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades...
Brigadier Gunaratne was a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was 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...
(VSV), the 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...
, 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 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...
.
After his retirement he became the Chairman of the State Timber Corporation.