Appreciations

On the seventh death anniversary of Admiral Ananda Silva, V.S.V. who strode like a colossus for nearly 40 years from cadet to 4-star admiral, I would like to pen a few thoughts.

Admiral Silva began his career in the Royal Ceylon Navy as a young naval cadet and was sent for training at the prestigious Royal Navy Training Establishment at Dartmouth in the United Kingdom.

I commenced my own naval career when Admiral Silva, was holding the coveted position of Commandant of the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee. I later served on his staff when he was Naval Officer-in- Charge, Trincomalee and later at SLNS “ Gemunu” where he served as the Commanding Officer, prior to his promotion as the Chief of Staff and later as the Commander of the Navy. Above the Commandant’s Office in the Naval Training Academy in Trincomalee carved in thick brass is the challenging motto, “ Duty is the great business of a naval officer. No private considerations should give way to it, however painful it may be”. Admiral Silva conducted his long naval career true to its word. The Navy was his life!

At the very outset of my career I noted that the then Commander Silva was strict and set high standards of good order and naval discipline by his own exemplary manner which ensured that naval orders and instructions, naval customs and traditions (written and unwritten) and service protocols were observed at all times, with the high standards of conduct trickling down from the top. He continued his career in this manner to the very end.

Though strict at all times, Admiral Silva always acted in a fair, polite, soft spoken and gentlemanly manner and upheld naval law at all times. The chain of command was followed to the letter. His unstinted support was there at all times provided the law was upheld and the right thing was done.

Few are aware that Admiral Silva was a keen angler and used to cast his line off the Honeymoon Cottage pier at the inner yard in Trincomalee and had great pleasure in talking about the day’s fishing at the bar.

It’s a common saying that the “good die young” and this was yet another example. It came as a surprise to me as his doctor for many years to hear that Admiral Silva passed away following a heart complaint.

He had never complained of any serious illness during my own career as a Medical Officer in the Navy for two decades and more!
Admiral Silva left behind his dear wife Chitra and three lovely children who were all patients of mine for a long period of time, a wonderful naval family.

“ His life was gentle and the elements so well mixed that even Mother Nature will stand up and say, ‘This was a man’.”