Sri Lankan 4th ARMOURED REGIMENT - Foreign Military Studies ...

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an extension of politics, battle tanksbecome decisive tools of the politician aswell as the general.The TransformationOn 24 September 1991, the SriLanka Army formally established thefirst tank regiment, designated 4thArmoured Regiment, Sri LankaArmoured Corps with myself (Lt Col SriMudannayake) as its’ first CommandingOfficer. It was a historic moment for theArmy and a monumental achievementfor the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. Thelong awaited ‘Wheels to Tracks’transformation had finally begun.The new regiment started in amakeshift temporary office in thebuilding opposite the old guard room atRock House Camp, Colombo. Officersand men were posted to the new unitfrom 1st and 3rd ReconnaissanceRegiments. On 10 October 1991, theregiment moved out. The day alsomarked the 42d Anniversary of the SriLanka Army. The future was unclearbecause the tanks had not arrived. Theywere on board a ship somewhere in theMediterranean Sea heading towards theIndian Ocean. With uncertainty, andanxiety, fourteen officers and twohundred and eleven men movedeastwards to a new abode inClappenburg, China Bay, Trincomalee.Clappenburg – The Home of TankersThe port city of Trincomalee wasthe main base and shore headquarters ofEastern Fleet, British Royal Navy duringWorld War II. It is the second largestnatural harbor in the world next toSydney. On the recommendation of thethen British Prime Minister WinstonChurchill, the Supreme AlliedCommander in South-East Asia LordEarl Mountbatten shifted hisheadquarters to Kandy in August 1944,and Trincomalee was built as a fleet base12
with buildings, jetties and sheds. Thedeep harbor entrance of Trincomaleewas ideal for avoiding potential enemysea mines. In December 1944 the Alliedsubmarine fleet moved in. A huge 100 –tank oil storage facility and the NavalDock Yard were developed during theperiod. Allied naval expeditions on theAndaman and Nicobar Islands, as wellas on Burma were launched fromTrincomalee. “Clappenburg” receivesClappenburg Bay in Trincomalee. Theland mass curves into the southwesternedge of Trincomalee harbor where theSri Lanka Air Force Base, China Bay layadjacent to the camp. With a panoramicview of Koddiyar Bay and the vast Bayof Bengal beyond, Clappenburg consistsof more than a dozen aircraft hangarsbuilt in 1942 by the British Royal AirForce to support its Far Eastern AirCampaign.its’ name because it forms part of theClappenburg Bay (Photo by author)13
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Page 3 and 4: tracked vehicles. A reluctance toin
Page 5 and 6: influence and became an independent
Page 7 and 8: Classic Sri Lankan hospitalityand b
Page 9 and 10: making the final decision. He arriv
Page 11: II. Field Marshall BernardMontgomme
Page 15 and 16: “WE NEVER WAVERED BECAUSE, IN THE
Page 17 and 18: It was a challenge thrown at me and
Page 19 and 20: trailers to camp. They contained ta
Page 21 and 22: eportedly used in twenty-threecount
Page 23 and 24: The Commander of the Army Lieutenan
Page 25 and 26: conditioning was an area that drewr
Page 27 and 28: een done at the time. I was directe
Page 29 and 30: In late December 1991 after sixweek
Page 31 and 32: egiment they were adorned with aspe
Page 33: Brigadier C S N B Mudannayake RWP U

Sri Lankan 4th ARMOURED REGIMENT - Foreign Military Studies ...

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