14 Facts About Clancy Fernando

Admiral Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando VSV, USP, MNI was a senior Sri Lanka Navy officer.

Clancy Fernando served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from 1 November 1991 to 16 November 1992, when he was assassinated by the LTTE he was the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan armed forces to be killed in the line of duty.

Clancy Fernando joined the Royal Ceylon Navy on 17 December 1957 as a cadet officer.

Clancy Fernando was assigned as First Lieutenant to HMCyS Aliya which was part of HMCyS Coastal Forces.

Clancy Fernando serves with the Royal Ceylon Navy in Trincomalee, Tangalle and Karainagar, serving on board HMCyS Gajabahu, the flagship of the fleet.

Clancy Fernando introduced the Sinhala communication system into the navy and authored the book on 'Customs and etiquettes of Services'.

Clancy 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.

Clancy Fernando had been conferred with the certificate of Master Mariners and was the first President of Sri Lanka Branch of the Nautical Institute.

Clancy Fernando was promoted to Commodore in July 1986 and served as Commander Western Naval Area, Commander Eastern Naval Area, and Security Forces Commander, Trincomalee.

Clancy Fernando 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.

Clancy Fernando 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 Clancy 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.

Clancy Fernando was posthumously promoted to admiral and awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya and the Uttama Seva Padakkama.

Clancy Fernando was married to Monica Fernando and had two sons, Nishan and Dinukh and a daughter, Sashi.