Trincomalee Garrison
Encyclopedia
The Trincomalee Garrison is a common name used for collection of military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...

s of the Sri Lanka Army located in and around the Fort Fredrick and the town of Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

 in the Eastern Province
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

. Due to the large natural harbor, it is one of the oldest military garrisons in 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...

 and has been occupied by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and the British
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...

. Known as Trincomalee Fortress during 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...

.

Trincomalee is home to the Security Forces Headquarters – East and 22 Division of the Sri Lanka Army, Eastern Naval Command of the Sri Lanka Navy and Eastern Zonal Command of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It has several training centers of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, including the Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...

  and the Air Force Academy, China Bay. Fort Fredrick has a detachment of the Gajaba Regiment
Gajaba Regiment
The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...

. The Navy maintains a naval hospital in Trincomalee. SLAF China Bay
SLAF China Bay
SLAF China Bay is a Sri Lanka Air Force base located at China Bay, Trincomalee. The airbase is situated close to the coast and has a long runway which is believed to be able to handle most modern aircraft...

 and SLN Dockyard
SLN Dockyard
Sri Lanka Navy Dockyard is the largest naval base of the Sri Lanka Navy and a major shipyard located in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. Established by the British as the Royal Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee it was home to the East Indies Station of the Royal Navy during World War II. Since the withdrawal of...

 are situated in close proximity to the town.

History

It is not known when Trincomalee started to function as harbor or gained military significance since the days of the ancient Sri Lankan Kings. The earliest known reference to the port of Gokanna is found in the Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...

 stating that in 5th century BC, when King Vijaya who having failed to convince his brother to come to Sri Lanka as his successor, got down his youngest son Panduvasdeva
Panduvasdeva of Sri Lanka
Prince Panduvasudeva, was King of Upathissa Nuwara from 504 BC to 474 BC.-Ancestors:-See also:* List of monarchs of Sri Lanka* Mahavamsa* History of Sri Lanka* Place names in Sri Lanka-External links:* *...

, who landed at Gokanna and was subsequently enthroned at Upatissagama.

King Parakramabahu I
Parâkramabâhu I
Parākramabāhu I was king of Sri Lanka from 1153 to 1186. During his reign from his capital Polonnaruwa, he unified the three sub kingdoms of the island, becoming one of the last monarchs in Sri Lankan history to do so...

 used Gokanna (Trincomalee) as his eastern port, to launch a successful invasion of Burma in the 12th Century. Trincomalee which is a natural deep-water harbour that has attracted seafarers like Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...

, Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...

 and Sea Traders from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...

. An English sea captain and historical chronicle writer named Robert Knox
Robert Knox (sailor)
Robert Knox was an English sea captain in the service of the British East India Company. He was the son of another sea captain, also called Robert Knox....

 came ashore by chance near Trincomalee and surrendered to the military detachment of Dissawa (official) of the King of Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

 in 1659. Hence, it was an important trade city between Sri Lanka and the outside world.

With the expansion of the Portuguese colonial possessions in the coastal areas, they built a fort in 1623 which was captured in 1639 by the Dutch. Known as Fort Fredrick it went through a phase of dismantling and reconstruction until was attacked and captured by the French in 1672. The French handed it back to the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...

 (VOC) at the Peace of Paris in 1784. In 1795 it was taken over by the British, and the British maintained a garrison till 1948. Trincomalee was the first land to be captured by the British who fought and defeated the Dutch, who did not want to surrender Ceylon as directed by the Prince of Orange, who took refuge in London after being defeated by the French republicans under Napoleon.

The importance of Fort Fredrick was due to Trincomalee's natural harbour. Through Trincomalee, it was believed a strong naval force could secure control of India's Coromandel Coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...

. It is stated that Trincomalee was visited by 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...

 Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...

 (later the 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...

) and 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...

 Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...

 (
later the 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...

) at different times during their service in India. Lord Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...

  visited whilst severing as a midshipman on board the HMS Seahorse
HMS Seahorse (1748)
HMS Seahorse was a 24-gun sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, famous as the ship on which a young Horatio Nelson served as a midshipman.-Construction and commissioning:...

 and would called it the finest harbors in the world. Arthur Wellesley visited whilst a Colonel in the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

, the bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...

 he resided in is known as Wellesley Lodge which is inside Fort Fredrick and now is the officer's mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...

 of the 2nd (Volunteer) battalion of the Gajaba Regiment
Gajaba Regiment
The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...

.

Prior to the Second World War the British had built a large airfield to house a permanent British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 base, RAF China Bay and a fuel storage and support facilities for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 and HMS Highflyer
HMS Highflyer
Four vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Highflyer.* The first Highflyer was an 8-gun schooner operating as an American privateer. In January 1813 HMS Poictiers captured her. The Royal Navy took Highflyer into service, retaining her name...

 naval base based there. After the fall of Singapore, Trincomalee became the home port of the Eastern Fleet of the Royal Navy, and submarines and flying boats of the Dutch Navy. The harbour and airfield were attacked by a Japanese carrier fleet in April 1942 in the Indian Ocean Raid
Indian Ocean raid
The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March-10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. It was an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II...

.

Until 1957, Trincomalee was an important base for the Royal Navy and was home to many British people who were employed by the British Admiralty. In the early 1950s The British Government built groups of bungalows within the Fort specifically for their employees. These bungalows still exist and provide accommodation for soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army. One of the groups of bungalows was named Edinburgh Terrace. Children of the British residents attended a Royal Naval School which was part of the Naval Base.

The naval and air bases were take over by Sri Lanka in 1957, today SLNS Tissa and SLN Dockyard are used by the Sri Lankan Navy
Sri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...

, while the Sri Lanka Air Force is based at SLAF China Bay. The Sri Lanka Army has its 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...

 in Trincomalee.

Trincomalee War Cemetery, is one of the six commonwealth war cemeteries in Sri Lanka, it is maintained by Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...

.

The Navy Base is home to a naval museum called The Hoods Tower Museum
Hoods Tower Museum
The Hoods Tower Museum is a naval museum of the Sri Lanka Navy in Trincomalee. Located at Ostenburg, in the Trincomalee peninsular on a high ridge over looking the entrance to the inner harbor of Trincomalee within the SLN Dockyard...

. The name of the museum refers to a watchtower built on a hill commanding a 360-degree view of the harbor and the bay.

Training centers

  • Naval and Maritime Academy
    Naval and Maritime Academy
    Naval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...

  • Air Force Academy, China Bay
  • Sri Lanka Army School of Logistics

Units

Units based in Trincomalee
Sri Lanka Army
  • 22 Division - Plantain Point
  • 4th Armoured Regiment, 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...

     - Clappenberg
  • 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, Gajaba Regiment
    Gajaba Regiment
    The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...

     - Fort Fredrick


Sri Lanka Navy
  • 3rd Fast Gun Boats Squadron (3 FGS)
  • 4th Fast Attack Flotilla
    Fast Attack Flotilla
    The 4th Fast Attack Flotilla is a force element flotilla of the Sri Lanka Navy. The flotilla's mission is to provide heavily armed and fast patrol boat capability to counter sea tiger movements along the coast and to protect naval and civilian shipping from sea tiger suicide crafts.-History:The...

     (4 FAF)
  • 7th Surveillance Command Squadron


Sri Lanka Air Force
  • No. 1 Flying Training Wing
    No. 1 Wing SLAF
    No. 1 Flying Training Wing currently based at SLAF China Bay, carries out basic pilot training of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Its the oldest flying formation in the SLAF.-History:...

  • No. 14 Squadron
    No. 14 Squadron SLAF
    No. 14 Squadron is a training squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates the Hongdu JL-8 from SLAF China Bay for advanced jet training.-External links:**...


See also

  • SLAF China Bay
    SLAF China Bay
    SLAF China Bay is a Sri Lanka Air Force base located at China Bay, Trincomalee. The airbase is situated close to the coast and has a long runway which is believed to be able to handle most modern aircraft...

  • SLN Dockyard
    SLN Dockyard
    Sri Lanka Navy Dockyard is the largest naval base of the Sri Lanka Navy and a major shipyard located in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. Established by the British as the Royal Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee it was home to the East Indies Station of the Royal Navy during World War II. Since the withdrawal of...

  • 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...

  • Gajaba Regiment
    Gajaba Regiment
    The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...

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