The RAF soldier who keeps coming back
Edgar Anstey’s first image of Sri Lanka was 60 years ago. He caught his first glimpse of the island as he peered through the window of the Hastings aircraft as it approached the airfield of the Royal Air Force, Negombo.
Armed only with a grammar school textbook knowledge of what was then known as Ceylon, he found himself quickly falling in love with the snaky brown rivers, vast expanse of lagoon and palm tree landscape from the moment of descent.
Edgar Anstey
When we catch up with Edgar, (or Eddie as he is known by all) we are told that his current visit marks his 50th trip to Sri Lanka.
Seated in an apartment away from the hum of the ever busy Galle Road, he is sun-tanned and relaxed in an armchair, local words and names rolling off his native British tongue with easy familiarity.
It is a far cry from his first visit in 1955, when he was stationed here during his service in the Royal Air Force. It would be 40 years later before he returned to the island.
His recent visits to Sri Lanka have been on a very different kind of mission; to give back to the country and its people. His adventurous life journey is transcribed into his autobiography simply titled “My Life…My Destiny”.
Although it’s not his first book, Anstey is reluctant to call himself a writer. But he unravels the events of his life with true storyteller’s relish. His forthright personality is softened by the few moments he chokes up with emotion.
When asked to talk about himself, he prefers instead to talk about “our children”- the young Sri Lankan children he sponsors through ChildFund (Sri Lanka).
His eyes light up as he talks about them, their progress through the years and the friendship between their families which finds him spending most of his time in Sri Lanka on family visits.
This year finds him and his wife Phyl sponsoring six girls from around Sri Lanka, Cambodia, India and East Timor. “It’s important,” he explains as to why all his sponsor children have been girls. “When you educate a girl you know that one day she will be able to teach her children,” he says.
Another reason why he keeps coming back to the island is because of the guilt complex he has always carried with him. “I should have done more while I was here. Found out more about the people and the culture,” he says regretfully.
Born in London, two years before World War II began, Eddie’s childhood is relived in the first few chapters of the book.
“I’m surprised I can remember all these details,” he says, the book a testament of a generation who grew up in wartime London, the Blitz, many of whom were evacuated to the countryside; experiences that echo many WWII children’s books.
In 1954, 17-year-old Eddie voluntarily signed up for five years service in the Royal Air Force, which also allowed him to pursue his higher education.
His posting to Ceylon came “quite by chance” as his name was alphabetically at the top of the list, while the rest of his group were assigned Singapore/ Malaya. He wasn’t ecstatic about it, he admits.
“But now I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without Sri Lanka.”
His two and a half year stint in Ceylon was spent specialising in aircraft instruments at the RAF base in Negombo. “There were hardly any vehicles,” he remembers; Katunayake a village in contrast to the hub it is today.
Leave was spent swimming at Closenberg Bay or travelling up country. His term in Ceylon allowed Eddie to explore the diverse land and scenery. He laughingly recalls his short experience as “a film star” in David Lean’s “Bridge on the River Kwai”.
Following his service in the RAF, Anstey pursued a career in the scientific civil service as a Scientific Officer. Once he returned to England and settled down, the idea of travelling to Sri Lanka was wishful thinking. “I thought it might be too expensive or too difficult to do so,” he adds. His closest link to Sri Lanka remained his house, which he named “Negombo.”
The idea to sponsor a child came while reading the newspapers. An ardent cricket fan he was inspired by a picture of Sir Vivian Richards captioned, “I sponsor a boy from Antigua”. It so happened he received a package some time later addressed to “Mr Anstey, UK” from Sri Lanka.
Inside was a letter and picture of a young girl and her family and a welcome letter from a charity in Colombo. “It turned out to be for another Mr Anstey,” but Eddie by now was convinced he should be a part of a sponsor programme and renew his ties with Sri Lanka.
With the help of K.L.F.Wijedasa, (former secretary to past presidents) Eddie and his family have helped 15 young girls.
The greatest joy has been to watch them grow into educated, determined young women. “They’ve even helped me improve my Sinhala,” as he learnt the language so he could read the letters they send to him regularly.
For details on sponsorship or to order a copy of “My Life…My Destiny” email edgar.anstey@ntlworld.com