Diyatalawa Garrison
Diyatalawa Garrison | |
---|---|
Diyatalawa, Uva Province | |
Type | Military Base |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Area Headquarters Diyatalawa |
Site history | |
In use | 1885 – present |
Garrison information | |
Garrison | Gemunu Watch |
The Diyatalawa Garrison is a common name used for collection of military bases of the Sri Lanka Army located in and around the garrison town Diyatalawa in the Uva Province. Sometimes it is referred to as the Diyatalawa Cantonment. It is one of the oldest military garrisons in Sri Lanka. It is home to the several training centers of the army, including the Sri Lanka Military Academy and has a detachment of the Gemunu Watch. The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps maintains a base hospital in Diyatalawa. SLAF Diyatalawa is situated in close proximity.
History
It is not exactly known as to when Diyatalawa became a training station for troops, but available records show that it was selected around 1885, when the British Army first established a garrison at Diyatalawa. At that time training was conducted at the Imperial Camp which is presently occupied by the Gemunu Watch troops. In 1900, the British War Office constructed a concentration camp in Diyatalawa to house Boer prisoners captured in the Second Boer War. Initially constructed to house 2500 prisoners and 1000 guards and staff, the number of prisoners increased to 5000. During World War I an internment camp for enemy aliens was set up.[1][2]
Early in World War II the camp was reopened and German nationals resident in Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as many sailors, like those removed from the
After independence the facilities of the British Army were taken over by the newly established Ceylon Army, and Diyatalawa became the primary training grounds for the young army with the establishment in 1950 the Army Recruit Training Depot later renamed at the Army Training Centre. Several of the army's regiments were resided here, 1st Field Squadron, Ceylon Engineers (1951), Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (1956), Gemunu Watch (1962).
The
On 14 March 2013, the Security Forces Headquarters – Central the youngest of the seven commands of the Sri Lanka Army was formed at Diyatalawa. Prior to this Diyatalawa served as an Area Headquarters.
Army Training Command (ARTRAC) was inaugurated on 29 January 2012 at Diyatalawa. ARTRAC was established as a separate organization for doctrinal development and training monitoring of Sri Lanka Army.
Training centers
- Sri Lanka Military Academy
- Volunteer Force Training School
- Marksmanship and Sniper Training School
See also
References
- ^ The Bore Prisoners of War in Ceylon The Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon
- ^ The Diyatalawa water works Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine IESL
- ^ de:Internierungslager in Indien
External links