Ceylon Defence Force

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الموسوعة الحرة

The Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was established in 1910 by the Ceylonese legislation Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance, which reformed the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF) that existed previously as the military reserve in the BritishCrown colony of Ceylon. At the time of forming it was only a reserve force but soon developed into a regular force responsible for the defence of Ceylon. The CDF was under the command of the General Officer Commanding, Ceylon of the British Army in Ceylon if mobilised. However mobilisation could be carried out only under orders from the Governor.

History

The origins of the Ceylon Defence Force can be traced back to the formation of the Ceylon Volunteers in 1881, whereby the Citizens' Rifle Society rifle section was designated the 1st Battalion Ceylon Light Infantry with Lieutenant Colonel John Scott Armtage appointed as the first Commanding Officer. The Ceylon Volunteers subsequently were renamed the Ceylon Volunteer Force and finally was renamed the Ceylon Defence Force in 1910. Units of the Ceylon Volunteer Force in 1910.

Second Boer War

In 1900 Ceylon Mounted Infantry saw action and in 1902 a contingent of Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps, took part in the Second Boer War in South Africa. Their services were recognised by presentation, in 1902, of a colour to the Ceylon Mounted Infantry, and a presentation in 1904, of a Banner to the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps.

Although there were Ceylonese officers much of the officer corps was made up of British officers and the other ranks were mostly Ceylonese with the exception of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps which was completely made up of Europeans.

First World War

في عام ١٩١٤، مع اندلاع الحرب العالمية الأولى ، تمّ حشد قوات الدفاع السيلانية وتوسيعها. سافر العديد من المتطوعين من قوات الدفاع إلى إنجلترا وانضموا إلى الجيش البريطاني، وقُتل العديد منهم في المعارك. من بينهم الجندي جاكوتين من فوج المشاة الخفيف السيلاني، الذي ذكره آرثر كونان دويل ، والذي كان آخر من بقي على قيد الحياة في وحدته في معركة ليس، واستمر في القتال لمدة ٢٠ دقيقة قبل استشهاده. أرسلت قيادة قوات الدفاع السيلانية قوةً مؤلفة من ٨ ضباط و٢٢٩ جنديًا بقيادة الرائد ج. هول براون إلى الحرب العظمى. أبحرت الوحدة إلى مصر في أكتوبر ١٩١٤، ونُشرت للدفاع عن قناة السويس. أُلحقت هذه الوحدة رسميًا بفيلق الجيش الأسترالي والنيوزيلندي (أنزاك)، وفي عام ١٩١٥ أُرسلت إلى خليج أنزاك (شاطئ "زد") في شبه جزيرة غاليبولي . اضطلعت فيلق بنادق مزارعي سيلان (CPRC) بمهام عملياتية كحراسة لهيئة أركان قيادة قوات أنزاك، بما في ذلك القائد العام لقوات أنزاك، الفريق ويليام بيردوود ، الذي علّق قائلاً: "لديّ حرس ممتاز من مزارعي سيلان، وهم مجموعة رائعة من الرجال". ووفقًا لقائدها السابق، العقيد تي واي رايت (1904-1912)، فقد تكبّد فيلق بنادق مزارعي سيلان خسائر إجمالية بلغت 80 قتيلاً و99 جريحًا في الحرب العالمية الأولى. وبعد الحرب بفترة وجيزة، غادرت كتيبة كارناتيك الثمانون، التي كانت آخر وحدة عسكرية نظامية متمركزة في سيلان لأداء مهام الحامية. ونتيجة لذلك، أصبحت قوة دفاع سيلان وحدة عسكرية نظامية، مع وجود بعض الوحدات، مثل مفرزة متطوعي مشاة سيلان الخفيفة المُعبأة ، التي تم حشد قواتها بشكل دائم.

الحرب العالمية الثانية

مقر قيادة الجيش البريطاني في كولومبو، أكتوبر 1940.
الرقيب فان أوموهيسن من الخدمة الإقليمية المساعدة، سيلان.

في عام ١٩٣٩، مع اندلاع الحرب العالمية الثانية ، تمّ حشد قوات الدفاع السيلانية وتوسيعها لتعزيز دفاعات سيلان لمواجهة أي تهديد محتمل من اليابانيين. تولّت هذه القوات القيادة المباشرة لقيادة جنوب شرق آسيا ، وشكّلت جزءًا من المجموعة الحادية عشرة للجيش البريطاني . وكان يُشار إليها أحيانًا باسم الجيش البريطاني في سيلان أو قيادة جيش سيلان خلال تلك الفترة. واتخذت قيادة جنوب شرق آسيا، بقيادة الأدميرال اللورد لويس ماونتباتن، من مدينة كاندي في سيلان مقرًا لها .

Troops from the Ceylon Defence Force, mainly the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Garrison Artillery were placed outside Ceylon undertaking garrison duties on the Seychelles and the Cocos Islands. In Cocos Islands Mutiny took place (encouraged by TrotskyistLanka Sama Samaja Party) by a few members of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery but was immediately put down by the Ceylon Light Infantry. CLI troops in 1941 escorted ItalianPOWs from the Middle East to Ceylon, and later in 1946 Japanese POWs from Ceylon to India.

In 1945 reached its wartime peak at 645 officers and 14,247 other ranks. At the centre of the expansion was the Ceylon Light Infantry which grew by 1946 from one to five battalions.

Post war

In 1947 the CDF was again mobilised in its last major internal security operation to suppress a left wing hartal, or mass stoppage of work. The Ceylon Defence Force was given additional support by an armed detachment of British Royal Marines from HMS Glasgow, who were utilised to deter strikers in Colombo.

The Ceylon Defence Force was officially disbanded on 11 April 1949 and reconstituted by Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which revoked the Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance of 1910 as the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF), itself becoming the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) in 1972.

Impact on the Ceylon Army

Soldiers who had experience in the CDF were actively recruited into the newly constructed regular force, and reconstituted volunteer force of the new Ceylon Army. In its first few years, and with few exceptions, the only new recruits enlisted were officer cadets and soldiers below the rank of warrant officer. Ceylon Defence Force veterans featured prominently in the post-independence regular Ceylon Army until GeneralD. S. Attygalle (1967–1977) finished his term as Commander. The last Ceylon Defence Force veteran to leave the Army was BrigadierT. S. B. Sally, who ended his service tenure in 1979.

Units of the Ceylon Defence Force

Personnel

Its commissioned officers received their commission from the Governor, instead of the British Monarch which was the case in the British Army. Since the force was a volunteer force, its personnel were made up of exclusively of the upper and middle class of the island who could spare the free time. Much of the officer carder was made up of Europeans, Burghers and a smaller extent from the Sinhalese, Tamils and Moor communities. A few Europeans had served with the British Army, vast majority were planters, landowners and professionals such as lawyers, doctors engineers and civil servants. Oxbridge graduates could easily gain a commission. Officer training was limited with, much of the training and activity were planned on weekends and at the annual training camp and exercise that took place in Diyatalawa. Infantry companies were formed in cities and towns with local volunteers.

Recruitment

Recruitment took place at regiment and unit level, with the commanding officer of the regiment deciding on both the officer and other ranks recruited into their respective units, following an application and an interview by a recruitment board. This meant that regiments retained exclusiveness such as the Ceylon Mounted Rifles and the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps which was limited to Europeans and not opened to native Ceylonese.

Training

As volunteer units, the CDF personal served in a part-time basis. They would carryout drills and practice during a weekend per month and would undertake a training camp of two week duration once a year at Imperial Camp in the Diyatalawa Garrison.

Commandants

Notable members

Former decorations & medals

From its formation the Ceylon Defence Force used British military decorations.

See also

References

  1. ↑Army, Sri Lanka (October 1999). "Chapter 1". Sri Lanka Army, "50 YEARS ON" - 1949–1999 (1st ed.). Colombo: Sri Lanka Army. pp. 1–3. ISBN 955-8089-02-8.
  2. ↑ "العميد بيرسي دوغلاس راماناياكي" .{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archiveal service ( link )