Clancy Fernando

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Admiral
Commands heldCommander of the Sri Lankan Navy
Battles/warsSri Lankan Civil War
Awards Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
Uttama Seva Padakkama

LTTE[1]
he was the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan armed forces to be killed in the line of duty.

Early life and education

Born on 10 October 1938, Fernando was educated at Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa, where he was a member of the team Western Band.

Naval career

He joined the

First Lieutenant to HMCyS Aliya which was part of HMCyS Coastal Forces. From 1963 to 1964 he was the commanding officer of the short patrol boat, HMCyS Diyakawa. He serves with the Royal Ceylon Navy in Trincomalee, Tangalle and Karainagar, serving on board HMCyS Gajabahu, the flagship of the fleet.[2]

He introduced the

Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. Promoted to the rank of Commander in March 1978, he was the Commanding Officer of the SLNS Tissa and thereafter SLNS Elara, and served as the Master of the Ceylon Shipping Corporations MV Lanka Kanthi.[2] Fernando was held the memberships of the British Institute of Management, and the Nautical Institute and had obtained a master's degree in defence studies. He had also been conferred with the certificate of Master Mariners and was the first President of Sri Lanka Branch of the Nautical Institute
.

On 30 June 1983, he was appointed Director Naval Operations. Promoted the rank of

LTTE, effectively denying the terrorist free use of the sea. He pioneered small boat operations, initially in the Kilali lagoon in Jaffna which later evolved in the Special Boat Squadron and the Rapid Action Boat Squadron in later decades. The navy under took in landing the army in its first amphibious operation Operation Balavegaya in 1991.[3]

Assassination

Grave of Clancy Fernando

He was assassinated by a

flag lieutenant and his driver. He was on his way to naval headquarters at Flagstaff Street in the Galle Buck from his official residence "Navy House" at Longden Place, Colombo after he returned from India after discussing Indo-Sri Lankan naval cooperation. Admiral Fernando's assassination took place soon after the death of LTTE Sea Tiger leader Charles at the hands of a navy patrol launched from Nagathevanthurai.[2]

Honors

He was posthumously promoted to admiral and awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya and the Uttama Seva Padakkama. While in service he had received the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp, Purna Bhumi Padakkama, President's Inauguration Medal and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.

Family

He was married to Monica Fernando and had two sons, Nishan and Dinukh and a daughter, Sashi.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Suicide terrorism: a global threat, www.janes.com
  2. ^ a b c Fernando, Nishan (15 December 2019). "Short". Sunday Times. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  3. ^ Rear Admiral Ruwan Dias. "A pioneering naval officer who inspired". Sunday Times. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ^ "A pioneering naval officer who inspired". Retrieved 8 February 2021.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
1991-1992  † 		Succeeded by
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