Clancy Fernando
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando VSV
, USP
, MSc
, ndc, psc, MNI, SLN (In Sinhalese: ) (10 October 1938–16 November 1992) was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
from 1 November 1991 - 16 November 1992. He was assassinated by the LTTE in 1992, as the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan military to be killed in the line of duty.
. After leaving school he enlisted as a Cadet Officer in the Royal Ceylon Navy in December 1957. After completing basic training, he proceeded for training at Britannia Royal Naval College
in Dartmouth
, United Kingdom
.
Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando held the memberships of the British Institute of Management, and the Nautical Institute of U.K 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 of U.K.
Admiral Fernando is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
, India
and from the National Defence College
in New Delhi
.
, Sub Lieutenant, Lieutenant
, Lieutenant Commander
, Commander
, Captain
and Commodore respectively. During which time he commanded the SLNS Gajabahu
, the flagship of the fleet. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
and held the post of the Chief of Staff
of the Navy, shortly he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral
on appointment to the office of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
. After becoming Navy Commander he intensified naval operations against the LTTE, effectively denying the terrorist free use of the sea.
During his service years, he introduced the Sinhala communication system into the Navy and authored the book on ‘Customs and etiquettes of Services’.
Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando had been awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
, Uttama Seva Padakkama
, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp
, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Long Services Medal and Clasp
, Purna Bhumi Medal, President’s Inauguration Medal and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
on the 16 November 1992 at 8.35 a.m, in front of the Galle Face Green
. Killed in the bombing was Lieutenant
(posthumously Lieutenant-Commander) Sandun Gunasekera his 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. He was posthumously promoted to Admiral
.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando VSV
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan senior military officers of three services, given that their loyal service is of not less than 25 years and possess a perfectly flawless record of moral and military conduct, will be appropriate for the award...
, USP
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
, ndc, psc, MNI, SLN (In Sinhalese: ) (10 October 1938–16 November 1992) was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
from 1 November 1991 - 16 November 1992. He was assassinated by the LTTE in 1992, as the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan military to be killed in the line of duty.
Education
Admiral Fernando, received his secondary education at Prince of Wales' College, MoratuwaPrince of Wales' College, Moratuwa
'Prince of Wales College is a School in Sri Lanka.The school is situated in Moratuwa, a suburb of Colombo. Prince of Wales' College was founded in 1876 by Sir Charles Henry de Soysa who was a famous 19th Century Sri Lankan philanthropist...
. After leaving school he enlisted as a Cadet Officer in the Royal Ceylon Navy in December 1957. After completing basic training, he proceeded for training at Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando held the memberships of the British Institute of Management, and the Nautical Institute of U.K 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 of U.K.
Admiral Fernando is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington
Wellington Cantonment
Wellington is a cantonment town in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu. It is the Regimental Centre for the Madras Regiment of the Indian Army. One of its most famous residents was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who died in the town on June 27, 2008....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and from the National Defence College
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College of India, located in New Delhi, is an institution of higher learning of the defence forces of India. The institution was inaugurated on 27 April 1960 and is the only military institution in the country that imparts knowledge on all aspects of national security and...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
.
Naval career
Within the Sri Lankan Navy, he has held the ranks of MidshipmanMidshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
, Sub Lieutenant, Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
and Commodore respectively. During which time he commanded the SLNS Gajabahu
SLNS Gajabahu
SLNS Gajabahu was a River class frigate of the Sri Lanka Navy. She has since been converted to a training ship for the Naval & Maritime Academy, Trincomalee.-History:...
, the flagship of the fleet. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and held the post of the Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the Navy, shortly he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
on appointment to the office of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy
Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)
The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
. After becoming Navy Commander he intensified naval operations against the LTTE, effectively denying the terrorist free use of the sea.
During his service years, he introduced the Sinhala communication system into the Navy and authored the book on ‘Customs and etiquettes of Services’.
Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando had been awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan senior military officers of three services, given that their loyal service is of not less than 25 years and possess a perfectly flawless record of moral and military conduct, will be appropriate for the award...
, Uttama Seva Padakkama
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp
Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
It is ordained that the medal shall be awarded to all ranks of the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the Armed Service of the Republic of Sri Lanka, including officers but excluding those in the ranks of the Ceylon Cadet Corps, who were in service on the 22nd May 1972 and who are recommended by the...
, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Long Services Medal and Clasp
Clasp
Clasp, clasper or CLASP may refer to:* Medal bar, an element in military decoration* Fastener, a hardware device that mechanically joins objects together* "Clasp", a track from Jethro Tull's album Broadsword and the Beast...
, Purna Bhumi Medal, President’s Inauguration Medal and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.
Suicide bombing
He was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber who drove an explosives laden motorbike into his staff carStaff car
A staff car is a vehicle used by a senior military officer, and is part of their country's white fleet. The term is most often used in relation to the United Kingdom where they were first used in quantity during World War I, examples being the Vauxhall D-type and Crossley 20/25.Staff cars are...
on the 16 November 1992 at 8.35 a.m, in front of the Galle Face Green
Galle Face Green
The Galle Face is a promenade which stretches for half kilometre along the coast in the heart of financial and business district of Colombo, Sri Lanka...
. Killed in the bombing was Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
(posthumously Lieutenant-Commander) Sandun Gunasekera his 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
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
after he returned from India after discussing Indo-Sri Lankan naval cooperation. He was posthumously promoted to Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
.
See also
- Sri Lanka Navy
- List of assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War
- List of attacks attributed to the LTTE
- Sri Lankan Civil WarSri Lankan civil warThe Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...