Flight back to the past
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Air Vice Marshal A.B. Sosa (Retd.) presents the book to Air Force Chief Air Marshal G.P. Bulathsinghala while Wing Commander S.R. Ratnapala (Retd.) looks on. Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
Air Vice Marshal A.B. Sosa (Retd) recalls the good old days at the Diyatalawa Air Force camp – the meticulous weapons training, the drills, the passing out parades of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and interestingly, the skilled Air Force barber who groomed the young chaps about to start off their career in the Air Force by getting rid of their long hair or the Elvis Presley ‘bump’.
The Air Force veteran was addressing the ceremonial launch of the ‘History of the Sri Lanka Air Force Diyatalawa and The Regiment’ at the Air Force Headquarters on January 26, where the first copies of the book were presented by him as Chairman of the Editorial Board, to the Chief Guest, the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal G.P Bulathsinghala.
The publication is the outcome of Air Vice Marshal Sosa and Wing Commander (Retd.), S.R. Ratnapala’s quest to record the history of the Sri Lanka Air Force Diyatalawa and the Regiment – the cradle of Air Force personnel.
The book covers the period from 1951- 2000 and details interesting information about Sri Lanka Air Force Diyatalawa and The Regiment.
Its prelude is an insight into the pre-camp days when Diyatalawa operated as a prison camp housing the Boer Prisoners of War brought to Ceylon by the British Army in the 19th Century.
The book gives much information about the Royal Ceylon Air Force, Ground Combat and Recruit Training Unit, Sri Lanka Air Force Station Diyatalawa, the Commanding Officers, Chief Instructors and Administrative Officers who led their teams with dedication and commitment to achieve excellence in training, and the training courses conducted for the Airmen etc.
The book has a fascinating collection of old black and white photographs obtained from the Air Force Museum and Diyatalawa.
In a separate section, the book gives a comprehensive account of the Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment- its formation as well as the many times the Regiment was called in to deal with situations such as the 1959 Tea Estate labour unrest, the 1971 JVP insurrection and play a role in public events such as the 1970 Papal Visit and the Non Aligned Conference.
Various accounts of the Air Force band, Regiment sports, lists of names of officials who were killed or missing in action, badges worn by the Regiment personnel are also found in the book.
Recalling what led them to embark on this book project almost one year ago, Air Vice Marshal Sosa said it was during a friendly chat with his colleague, Wing Commander Ratnapala that it occurred to them that, despite there being several books written about the Royal Ceylon Air Force and the Sri Lanka Air Force, there was nothing particular in terms of SLAF Diyatalawa.
Having agreed on the time frame to be covered through the publication- a span of 50 years, it was decided that information with regard to the Air Force Regiment also needs documenting for the simple reason that it had a close connection with the SLAF Diyatalawa.
Almost all Regiment Officers and quite a number of Operations Ground personnel had their careers intertwined between these two organisations.
With the Chinthaka Ratnapala Trust – established in memory of Wing Commander Ranjith Ratnapala’s son who died in the course of duty, funding the entire publication, the project team then sought the assistance of various quarters – from former Amy Commanders to media personnel, Air Force personnel in service and retirement and many other individuals.
Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal, G.P Bulathsinghala addressing the launch said the book speaks of an era of rich tradition when the SLAF came into being and the humble beginnings of the Royal Ceylon Air Force.
“The Regiment – the strong and dependable element that ensures we are safe on ground, is included. There are also lot of facts which the younger generation is not aware of.
This book by two distinguished authors to which many others have contributed, will give the young generation knowledge and understanding of how the present Diyatalawa combat training school came into being. The book will serve as a good reading literature on the Air Force history,” he said.
Delivering the vote of thanks Wing Commander S.R. Ratnapala expressed his gratitude on behalf of the editorial board for those who contributed in numerous ways to the success of the project.