General Hamilton Wanasinghe, VSV was born on 1935 and was a full general in the Sri Lanka Army.
19 Facts About Hamilton Wanasinghe
1.
2.
Hamilton Wanasinghe served as the 11th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, third General Officer Commanding of the Joint Operations Headquarters and Defence Secretary.
3.
Hamilton Wanasinghe was born in Malwana, a suburb of Colombo.
4.
Hamilton Wanasinghe received his primary and secondary education at Ananda College.
5.
Hamilton Wanasinghe was an active member of the College rifle shooting team, which won many coveted trophies and then later, he joined the army.
6.
Hamilton Wanasinghe joined Ceylon Army as an officer cadet in 1954 and was sent to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for officer training.
7.
Hamilton Wanasinghe was a captain in the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment when the 1962 attempt coup took place.
8.
Many of the officers of the three regiments of the Ceylon Artillery were implicated and Captain Hamilton Wanasinghe gave evidence in the Trail-at-Bar of the accused that followed.
9.
Hamilton Wanasinghe was transferred to the 4th Field Artillery Regiment following the amalgamation of the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment and the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment in 1963.
10.
Hamilton Wanasinghe went on to serve the commanding officer of the 4th Field Artillery Regiment with the rank of lieutenant colonel from May 1979 to 1981.
11.
Hamilton Wanasinghe was appointed as the Army Commander on 15 August 1988 and served until 15 November 1991 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
12.
When Hamilton Wanasinghe took command the army was engaged in subduing 2nd JVP insurrection in the south of the island, while the Indian Peace Keeping Force was present in North and East of Sri Lanka.
13.
General Hamilton Wanasinghe had the unprecedented task of maintaining cordial relations in a turbulent period.
14.
Hamilton Wanasinghe had a rare distinction of holding all three key appointments of the Sri Lanka's Defence establishment at a time country faced southern JVP insurrection and LTTE Second Ealam War.
15.
In November 1993 General Hamilton Wanasinghe facilitated the relief operation during the Battle of Pooneryn with an amphibious landing of Army troops assisted by the Navy.
16.
Hamilton Wanasinghe had been awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya for distinguished service in the army, his other medals include the Purna Bhumi Padakkama, Vadamarachchi Operation Medal, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal and the President's Inauguration Medal.
17.
Hamilton Wanasinghe married Ira Beatrice Jayathillake, daughter of Wanasinghe Arachchige Elaris Perera Jayathillake Ralahamy, a close relative in 1960.
18.
Ira Hamilton Wanasinghe was a school teacher, and they had five children.
19.
Two of Hamilton Wanasinghe's nephews were killed in action serving in the Sri Lanka Artillery in 1993; Captain Nalin Jayatilleke was killed serving as forward observation officer in Jaffna and Major Panduka Wanasinghe was killed in the Battle of Pooneryn.