Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force

Blue Ensign flown by merchant vessels commanded by officers in the SLVNF.

The Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force (SLVNF) is the volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Navy. The present headquarters of the VNF is at SLNS Lanka in Welisara. 95% of the members of the Volunteer Naval Force are now in the active service and deployed across almost all Sri Lankan Naval bases, with a strength of 490 officers and 12,270 sailors. The current Commanding Officer of SLVNF and SLNS Lanka is Commodore I. M. P. Sarath BA (Econ) LL.B.

Mission statement

The mission statement of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force is

To supplement and to provide the Regular Naval Force with the required assistance in the execution of the role and tasks of the Navy drawing expertise from diverse fields in the civilian strata

History

The history of the Sri Lanka Navy lies with the history of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force, the roots of which go back to the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) of the colonial days. The Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was raised subsequent the Volunteer Naval Defense Force Act 1. of 1937 under the command of Commander (Later Captain) W.G. Beauchamp, VRD, CBE with 12 officers and 18 sailors.

The first headquarters of the force was set up only days before the out break of World War II, at Kochchikade. Soon after, the CNVF was mobilized, placed under the command of the Royal Navy and deployed in the defence of Colombo and Trincomalee harbours. On 1 October 1943 it was renamed the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In 1946 it was brought back under the command of the Government of Ceylon.

The Royal Ceylon Volunteer Force was sanctioned and formed on 9 January 1951 under the Navy Act 34 of 1950. The officers and sailors the CRNVR who were not on active service on the date immediately preceding Navy act came into operation formed the nucleus of the Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force (RCVNF) with a strength of 12 officers and 121 men. To keep the Port H.M.Cy.S. TISSA safe, Port Commission Officers were commissioned as a separate division of the VNF, with Captain M. Chandrasoma OBE as Commanding Officer. This Division was disbanded in 1956.

In 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic the, Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force became the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force (SLVNF). Since then officers and sailors of the SLVNF have taken part in many operation carried out by the Sri Lanka Navy during Sri Lanka's War Against Terror

Awards and decorations

• Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya - Since 1972 for Commissioned Officers.
• Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama - Since 1972 for other rates.

Notable members

• Sir Susantha de Fonseka, KBE - former Deputy Speaker of the State Council and former Ambassador to Burma and Japan
• Rear Admiral Royce de Mel, OBE, ADC, RCyN - First Ceylonese Commander of the Royal Ceylon Navy (1955–1960)
• Rear Admiral Rajan Kadiragamar MVO, ADC, RCyN - Commander of the Royal Ceylon Navy (1960–1970)
• Lt. Commander, Peter, Neville, Leslie Mendis.
• Rear Admiral D.V. Hunter SLN -Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy (1970–1972)
• Rear Admiral Palitha Fernando, PC, VNF - Judge Advocate of the Sri Lanka Navy
• Commodore G.E.S. de Silva, PSV, FCMA, FCFA, FCMI, VNF - Commanding Officer, VNF
• Captain Malcolm de Costa - Commanding Officer, VNF

See also

• Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
• Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force
• Royal Naval Reserve

External links

• Volunteer Naval Force
• Sri Lanka Navy
• Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka
• Government Notifications, THE PRASANSANEEYA SEVA PADAKKA
• Navy Act, Volunteer Naval