Rajan Kadiragamar
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Rajanathan "Rajan" Kadiragamar, MVO
, ADC
, RCyN (1922-??) was Sri Lanka
n Admiral. He was the second Ceylonese Captain of the Royal Ceylon Navy
from 1960 to 1970 and as such the longest serving Commander of the Navy.
Protestant Vellala family with deep roots in Jaffna
, his father was Sam J.C.Kadirgamar Sr, JP
, UM
a Proctor
, who was the President of the Colombo Proctor's Association and the founder President of the Law Society of Ceylon. He had three brothers. His older brother S.J.C.Kadirgamar Jr., QC
was a eminent lawyer in commercial law, his youngest brother was Lakshman Kadirgamar
, PC
former Minister of Foreign Affairs
and his third brother was Selvanathan "Bai" Kadirgamar was a Major
in the Ceylon Army.
Educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo, where he was the senior sergeant of the cadet contingent and played rugby in the annual Bradby Shield Encounter
.
, Kadiragamar joined the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force as a cadet officer, after completing his officer training he graduated winning the Sword of Honour at the passing out parade at Trincomalee
in 1941. He was thereafter commissioned as a probationary Sub Lieutenant in the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) on 1 January 1942 and was attached to the Royal Navy
for the duration of the war. During this time he served on board ships of the Eastern Fleet and saw action off the cost of Burma. Following the general demobilization at the end of the war, Kadiragamar who was now a Lieutenant
remained in the CRNVR and in 1946 led the CRNVR's contingent in the victory parade in London. In 1949 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander
.
With the formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950 he was commissioned as a regular officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In 1951 he was made the commanding officer of HMCyS Vijaya
the first ship of the new navy. taking successive commands at sea and in shore establishments of the now growing navy, he was promoted to the ranks of Commander
in 1955, Captain
in 1959. By which time he was Chief of Staff on the navy. In 1960 he was made acting Captain of the Navy with promotion to the rank of temporary Commodore
, when Rear Admiral G.R.M. De Mel was relieved of command following an inquiry in to officers smuggling contraband.
When a coup d'étata was attempted in 1962, which included the Rear Admiral G.R.M. De Mel, Commodore Kadiragamar was targeted by the coup and was planned to be held under house arrest. The coup failed, and its leaders arrested shortly. Even though his brother was a defense council for the coup leaders in the long trial that followed, Commodore Kadiragamar remained head of the navy, when other service commanders were quickly changed. In 1964 his appointment was confirmed and he served as Captain of the Navy until his retirement in 1970 with the rank of Rear Admiral
. Even though funding was cut and recruitment halted in the navy by the government, he established the Naval and Maritime Academy
in Trincomalee. He was a working director at Port Cargo Corporation and played a major role in establishing the Ceylon Shipping Corporation.
Rear Admiral Kadiragamar was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
(MVO) for serivce to HM
Queen Elizabeth II and had been awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Burma Star
for war service from 1939–1945. For service in the Royal Ceylon Navy he received the service medals Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
, Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
. He had also severed as extra aide-de-camp
to three Governor-Generals
.
He was a President of the Swimming Union.
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"...
Rajanathan "Rajan" Kadiragamar, MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, RCyN (1922-??) was Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Admiral. He was the second Ceylonese Captain of the Royal Ceylon 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 1960 to 1970 and as such the longest serving Commander of the Navy.
Early life
Kadiragamar came from a TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
Protestant Vellala family with deep roots in Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, his father was Sam J.C.Kadirgamar Sr, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, UM
UM
Um may refer to:* Um, an exclamation or filled pause in spoken conversation* Um * .um, the Top Level Domain for United States Minor Outlying Islands...
a Proctor
Proctor
Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...
, who was the President of the Colombo Proctor's Association and the founder President of the Law Society of Ceylon. He had three brothers. His older brother S.J.C.Kadirgamar Jr., QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
was a eminent lawyer in commercial law, his youngest brother was Lakshman Kadirgamar
Lakshman Kadirgamar
Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar PC was a Sri Lankan diplomat, politician and a lawyer. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005...
, PC
President's Counsel (Sri Lanka)
President's Counsel is a professional rank, as their status is conferred by the president, recognised by the courts and wear silk gowns of a special design...
former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is an appointment in the Cabinet of Sri Lanka. The post was created in 1978 when the former Ministry of External Affairs and Defence was separated into two ministries...
and his third brother was Selvanathan "Bai" Kadirgamar was a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Ceylon Army.
Educated at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo, where he was the senior sergeant of the cadet contingent and played rugby in the annual Bradby Shield Encounter
Bradby Shield Encounter
The Bradby Shield Encounter - commonly known as "The Bradby" - is the blue ribbon of Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. It is played annually between traditional rivals Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter consists of two legs, one being played in the Royal College...
.
Naval career
With the out break of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kadiragamar joined the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force as a cadet officer, after completing his officer training he graduated winning the Sword of Honour at the passing out parade at Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
in 1941. He was thereafter commissioned as a probationary Sub Lieutenant in the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) on 1 January 1942 and was attached to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
for the duration of the war. During this time he served on board ships of the Eastern Fleet and saw action off the cost of Burma. Following the general demobilization at the end of the war, Kadiragamar who was now a 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...
remained in the CRNVR and in 1946 led the CRNVR's contingent in the victory parade in London. In 1949 he was promoted to the rank of 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...
.
With the formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950 he was commissioned as a regular officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In 1951 he was made the commanding officer of HMCyS Vijaya
HMCyS Vijaya
HMCyS Vijaya, named in honor of Vijaya, the first king of Sri Lanka, was an of the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first warship of that navy. Vijaya had been built as HMS Flying Fish for the Royal Navy during World War II, but was given to Ceylon by the United Kingdom upon the 1951 formation of Ceylon's...
the first ship of the new navy. taking successive commands at sea and in shore establishments of the now growing navy, he was promoted to the ranks of 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...
in 1955, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in 1959. By which time he was Chief of Staff on the navy. In 1960 he was made acting Captain of the Navy with promotion to the rank of temporary Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
, when Rear Admiral G.R.M. De Mel was relieved of command following an inquiry in to officers smuggling contraband.
When a coup d'étata was attempted in 1962, which included the Rear Admiral G.R.M. De Mel, Commodore Kadiragamar was targeted by the coup and was planned to be held under house arrest. The coup failed, and its leaders arrested shortly. Even though his brother was a defense council for the coup leaders in the long trial that followed, Commodore Kadiragamar remained head of the navy, when other service commanders were quickly changed. In 1964 his appointment was confirmed and he served as Captain of the Navy until his retirement in 1970 with 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"...
. Even though funding was cut and recruitment halted in the navy by the government, he established the Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...
in Trincomalee. He was a working director at Port Cargo Corporation and played a major role in establishing the Ceylon Shipping Corporation.
Rear Admiral Kadiragamar was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(MVO) for serivce to HM
HM
HM may refer to:* HM , a Christian hard rock magazine* HM , pseudonym of Henry Molaison, a man with anterograde amnesia* HM, the IATA airline code for Air Seychelles...
Queen Elizabeth II and had been awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Burma Star
Burma Star
The Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945...
for war service from 1939–1945. For service in the Royal Ceylon Navy he received the service medals Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal was a service medal of Ceylon from 1968 to 1972. It was granted to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Ceylon Army, Royal Ceylon Navy and Royal Ceylon Air Force, who complete 12 years service as defined in the regulations of the respective warrants...
, Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
The Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal was awarded to members of the Ceylon armed services who served during specified periods in 1949-1951 during its establishment.-External links:***-References:...
and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to...
. He had also severed as extra aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to three Governor-Generals
Governor-General of Ceylon
The Governor-General of Ceylon was the representative of the Ceylonese monarch, and head of state, who held the title of Queen of Ceylon from 1948 when the country became independent as a Dominion until the country became the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972.-Role:The monarch, on the advice of the...
.
He was a President of the Swimming Union.