Royal Ceylon Army

Royal Ceylon Army

The Ceylon Defense Force (CDF) which was founded in 1910 was mobilized and expanded beginning in 1939 which saw the raising of new units such as the Ceylon Signals Corps, the Auxiliary Territorial Service (Ceylon) and also the Colombo Town Guard. During the Second World War, Britain assumed direct control over the Armed Forces of Ceylon in what is called in Ceylon as the emergency period (1939-1945) due fears that the Empire of Japan would side with Germany and Italy where great.

In 1948 Ceylon gained independence from Britain, becoming a Dominion within the commonwealth and a year earlier Ceylon entered into the bi-lateral Anglo-Ceylonese Defence Agreement of 1947. This followed by the Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which was passed by Parliament on April 11th 1949 and formalized in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of October 10, 1949 marked the creation of the Royal Ceylon Army, consisting of a regular and a volunteer force, the latter being the successor of the disbanded CDF. Therefor October 10th 1949, and October 10 is therefore celebrated annually as Army day. The Defense Agreement of 1947 provided the assurance that British would come to the aid of Ceylon in the event it was attacked by a foreign power and provided British military advises to build the country's military.

The initial requirement was to raise an artillery regiment, an engineer squadron, an infantry battalion, a medical unit, and a service corps company. For much of the 1950s the army was preoccupied with the task of building itself and training existing and new personal. To this aim the British Army Training Team (BATT) advisory group carried out training for ex-members of the CDF within the Royal Ceylon Army, senior officers were sent to the British Army Staff College, Camberley and some attached to units of the British Army of the Rhine to gain field experience. New officers were sent for training at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst which continued until the 1960s and both officers and other ranks were sent to specialist training courses in Britain, India, Pakistan and Malaya. There were no formations and all units were structured to directly function under the Army Headquarters. However temporary field headquarters were to be formed at the time requirement arose.

Due to a lack of any major external threats the growth of the army was slow, and the primary duties of the army quickly moved towards internal security by the mid 50's. The first internal security operation of the Ceylon Army began in 1952, code named Operation Monty to counter the influx of illegal South Indian immigrants brought in by smugglers on the north-western cost, in support of Royal Ceylon Navy coastal patrols and police operations. This was expanded and renamed as Task Force Anti-Illicit Immigration (TaFII) in 1963 and which is still going on as of 1980. The Army was mobilized to help the police to restore peace under provincial emergency regulations during the 1953 hartal, the 1956 Gal Oya Valley riots and in 1958 it was deployed for the first time under emergency regulations throughout the island during the 1958 Riots.

During the 1950s and 1960s the army was called apron to carry to essential services when the workers went on strikes which were organized by the left wing parties and trade unions for various reasons, the most notable was the 1961 Colombo Port strike, during which ships threatened to bypass Colombo port and the country almost staved. To counter these common strikes several units were formed, who were employed in development work when there were no strikes.

In 1962 several volunteer officers attempted a military coup, which was stopped hours before it was launched. This attempted coup effect the military to a great extent, since the government mistrusted the military; it reduced the size and growth of the army, especially the volunteer force, with several units being disbanded. This however changed after the Royal Ceylon was involved in successfully defeating the insurgency led by the People’s Liberation Front in 1971.

List of active Royal Ceylon Army regiments and corps as of 1982

Royal Ceylon Armored Corps (RCAC)

With formation of the Royal Ceylon Army, a cavalry arm was considered and to this end the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron was established on October 10th 1955. With its expansion to a formation reconnaissance regiment in 1958, thus becoming the Royal Ceylon Armored Corps and the first armored unit of the Royal Ceylon Army. The 1st Reconnaissance Regiment became allied to and inherited the traditions of the Queen's Dragoons Guards of the British Army. The regimental headquarters was moved from Echelon Barracks to Rock House Army Camp in Colombo in 1957, which it still occupies as of 1980.

The RCAC was deployed on several occasions in the 1950s and 1960s on flood relief and internal security operations. It was deployed for combat operations during the 1971 Insurrection against the People’s Liberation Front first in Kurunegala and thereafter in Anuradhapura.

Following the 1971 Insurrection, British Alvis Saladin armored cars and British Alvis Saracen APCs and Alvis Stalwarts amphibious vehicles were added which formed as of 1982 the bulk of the Royal Ceylon Armored Corps armored inventory.

Royal Ceylon Light Infantry (RCLI)

The origins of the Royal Ceylon Light Infantry goes back to the formation of the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteer force (CLIV ) which was formed on April 1st 1881 by a proclamation issued by the Governor of Ceylon it was a reserve unit.

In 1910 with the formation of the Ceylon Defence Force the CLIV became a part of it and was renamed as the Ceylon Light Infantry (CLI). The regiment saw action during World War I along with allied troops. Soon after the war a regular element of the regiment was formed to take up garrison duties in Ceylon. This unit was named the Mobilised Detachment of Ceylon Light Infantry (Mob. Det., CLI). The regiment was again mobilized during the emergency period (1939-1945).

After Ceylon gained its independence from Britain in 1948 and with the Army Act of 1949 the CLI became the Ceylon Infantry Regiment and came under the newly formed Royal Ceylon Army. But in 1950 the regiment once again became the 1st Battalion, The Ceylon Light Infantry becoming the regular unit and the and the Volunteer Battalion was re-designated as the 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry.

The regiment was deployed for counter insurgency operations during the 1971 Insurrection. As of 1982 the Royal Ceylon Light Infantry consist of 8 regular battalions and 4 volunteer battalions.

Royal Ceylon Sinha Regiment (RCSR)

The Royal Ceylon Sinha Regiment is the first rifle regiment in the Royal Ceylon Army and the second oldest infantry regiment in the army after the Royal Ceylon Light Infantry. It was formed on October 1st 1956. As of 1982 the Royal Ceylon Sinha Regiment is made up of 4 regular battalions, 3 volunteer battalions and 1 headquarters battalion.  Royal Ceylon-Gemunu Regiment (RCGR)

The Royal Ceylon-Gemunu Regiment was formed with troops from the Royal Ceylon Light Infantry and the Royal Ceylon Sinha Regiment following the attempted military coup in 1962 by several volunteer officers. Troops from the 1st battalions of the RCLI and RCSR formed the core of the new regiment. Shortly 2 volunteer units formed the 2nd (V) Gemunu Battalion in Galle and the 3rd (V) Gemunu Battalion in Matara. These were made up of troops form the Ruhunu Regiment that was disband in 1956 and supplemented by officers of the RCSR, who had established a new volunteer unit as the 1st Gemunu Battalion.

Soon after it was deployed in Mannar sector on TAFII (Task Force Anti-Illicit Immigration) duties in early 1963 and later in the Jaffna sector too. During the 1971 Insurrection the 1st Royal Ceylon Gemunu Battalion was the first unit to be deployed to counter it in Wellawaya, while the volunteer units were deployed in counter-insurgency operations in Galle and Matara.

As of 1982 the Royal Ceylon-Gemunu Regiment consists of 5 battalions and 2 volunteer battalions.

Royal Ceylon Rifle Regiment (RCRR)

The Royal Ceylon Rifle Regiment was previous known as the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps a regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Royal Ceylon Army prior to 1949 when the Royal Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer (reserve) regiment based in Kandy, made up of only Europeans, who were tea and rubber planters of the hills of Sri Lanka.

With Ceylon gaining independence from Britain the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps was changed into the Royal Ceylon Rifle Regiment and as of 1981 consists of 2 volunteer (reserve) battalions.

Royal Ceylon Artillery (RCA)

The root of the Royal Ceylon Artillery goes back to 1888, when on April 12th 1888 the Ceylon Artillery Volunteers was formed as a gun battery under the command. During World War I the Ceylon Artillery Volunteers were mobilized, along with the Town Guard Artillery of Colombo for the defense of Colombo. In 1918 the Ceylon Garrison Artillery was formed by amalgamating the Ceylon Artillery Volunteers and Town Guard Artillery, coming under the Ceylon Defense Force. During the colonial period the main responsibility of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery (CGA) was the coastal defense of Ceylon, by manning Coastal artillery batteries.

During World War II the CGA was deployed outside Ceylon to support the Allied and Commonwealth forces in Africa, as well as defending Ceylon during the emergency period (1939-1945).

In 1949 the CGA became the Royal Ceylon Artillery with the formation of the Royal Ceylon Army under the Army Act of 1949. That year the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment (HAA) of the Royal Ceylon Artillery was formed. In 1953 it was renamed the 1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (LAA). In the same year the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment was formed. The 2nd Volunteer Coastal Artillery/Anti-Aircraft Regiment was formed in 1949, it was made up of officers and men of the Ceylon Garrison Artillery. In 1962, when many officers of the Royal Ceylon Army were frond associated with the attempted military coup the government began rapid reduction of the Royal Ceylon Army. As a result in 1962 the 2nd Volunteer Regiment was disbanded and coastal artillery batteries decommissioned. The following year in 1963 the 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment was amalgamated with 3rd Field Artillery Regiment and the 4th Regiment, Royal Ceylon Artillery was formed, thus reducing the Royal Ceylon Artillery to a single regiment. Years after amalgamation of the LAA, the air defense role of the Royal Ceylon military was taken over by the Royal Ceylon Air Force Regiment which it carries out to this day.

As of 1982 the Royal Ceylon Artillery consist of 3 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments

Royal Ceylon Engineers (RCE)

The Ceylon Engineers was formed in 1911 as part of the Ceylon Defense Force, following the transfer of Royal Engineers units from Ceylon. A duty of this unit was to the coastal search light and signal works. The unit was made up of only to Europeans at its inception, mostly form personal transferred from the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps. Ceylon Engineers were mobilized during World War I and demobilized at its conclusion. At this point the Commander of the Ceylon Defense Force and in consultation with the GOC Ceylon recommended that the members of the Burgher community who were enlisted to the Colombo Town Guard be invited to replace the Ceylon Engineers which was to be disbanded by December 31st 1926. This proposal was accepted and the reconstituted Ceylon Engineer Corps was raised on 1 January 1927. Personnel for the reconstituted unit were individually re-enlisted and strength of 11 officers and 144 Other Ranks was recorded. In 1928 the Committee set up by the Governor of Ceylon to inquire into this question, proposed in their report that the Ceylon Engineer Corps shall comprise British subjects of good character and respectability. From then onwards, the Ceylon Engineer Corps was open to all Ceylonese. The Corps was to comprise two Companies of Field Engineers (for combat engineering), two Companies of Fortress Engineers (to man defense lights and engine) and one Company of Signalers. In 1939 the Corps was mobilized for World War II and in 1943 a second signal company was and these formed Ceylon Signals Corps.

With the establishment of the Royal Ceylon Army after independence, 1st Field Squadron was formed in 1951. This became the core of the Royal Ceylon Engineers which was formed in 1957, with the regimental headquarters permanently based at the Panagoda Cantonment. A military engineering unit was set up in May 1958 at Konduwattuan Camp in Ampara, this school was moved several times before been located at Thunkama in Embilipitiya where it is today. In 1959 1st Field Engineer Squadron became the 1st Field Engineer Regiment. The Volunteer counterpart of the ‘Sappers', the 4th Development and Construction Engineers Regiment was raised in 1964, replacing 2nd (V) Field/Plant Regiment which was disbanded in 1962 after the attempted military coup that year which involved some of its officers.

As of 1982 the Royal Ceylon Engineers consist of 5 regular regiments and 1 volunteer regiment.  Royal Ceylon Signals Corps (RCSC)

Established on October 19th 1943 as a part of the Ceylon Defense Force it was reformed as a troop of signals following the formation of the Royal Ceylon Army in 1949. The initial task of this troop was to provide communications between Army HQ and its branches. By the end of 1950 this troop had 1 Officer and 17 other ranks and their tasks included establishing a signals office at Army HQ, provision of a signal dispatch service, manning a switch board and the construction and maintenance of underground as well as field cables. In May 1951 another Signals Office was established in Diyatalawa to serve the Garrison HQ which was just formed at that time. By October 1st 1951 the troop was raised to a squadron with strength of 4 Officers and 142 other ranks.

In 1951 formal approval was granted to wear the Royal Signals badges with the additional scroll CEYLON on it and to adopt the Royal Signals march Begone Dull Care as the regimental march of the Ceylon Signals Corps and in 1959 the 1st Regiment of the Ceylon Signals was formed. In 1962 following the attempted military coup the 2nd volunteer signal regiment was disbanded and its remaining personnel transferred to form the National Service Regiment (NSR).

As of 1982 the Royal Ceylon Signals Corps consist of 2 regular signal regiments, a school of signals and a signal base workshop.

Ceylon Special Air Service Regiment (CSAS)

The Ceylon Special Air Service Regiment was formed on October 10th 1980 and is a Special Forces unit of the Royal Ceylon Army modeled on the British Special Air Service (SAS).

The Royal Ceylon SAS regiment is the main elite special operations unit of the Royal Ceylon Army and as of 1981 consists of two squadrons (A and B) and one Headquarters and Support squadron.

Royal Ceylon Army Service Corps (RCASC)

The Royal Ceylon Army Service Corps is a Combat Support corps of the Royal Ceylon Army. The role of the corps is to carry supplies to the soldier where he is, and run an efficient organization for the provision of transport, fuel, oil and lubricants which are the 'life blood of an army’. It is made up of 3 regular units and 1 volunteer (reserve) unit.

Royal Ceylon Army Medical Corps (RCMC)

The Royal Ceylon Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the Royal Ceylon Army which provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of 2 regular units and 1 volunteer unit.

Royal Ceylon Military Police (RCMP)

The Royal Ceylon Military Police is the branch of the Royal Ceylon Army responsible for the policing of service personnel and providing a military police presence on service property, operations and exercises. It is made up of three regular regiments.  Royal Ceylon Army Pioneer Corps (RCAPC)

The Royal Ceylon Army Pioneer Corps is a (reserve) regiment of the Royal Ceylon Army and was established in 1959 as a manpower reserve to be utilized in times of strikes and union actions and to maintain the functionality of essential services and other state functions.