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THE CEYLON ARMY NATIONAL DEFENCE CORPS

RAISED 18TH JUNE 1958

By Brigadier AER Abeyesinghe, SLLI and Major Anton Edema, SLLI

1. PREAMBLE
Early in 1955, Sir John Kotalawela, the Prime Minister, recommended the
raising of Government Departmental Units into the Volunteer Force of the
Ceylon Army; and action was implemented to execute this policy with the
Railway and Postal & Telegraph departmental units into the Volunteer
Force. This policy was not without precedent; for, in 1882. The Ceylon
Light Infantry Volunteers had a Breakwater Company, a Railway Company,
a Public Works Department Company and a Law and Medical Company,
“The Devil’s Own”! The rationale for raising these units in the 1950 was to
mobilize their membership into Active Service during Trade Union action,
to ensure the continued maintenance of their respective essential services –
and, perhaps, to also infuse discipline in their respective services at all times.
Departmental Units in the Volunteer Force, during early colonial times,
where no recurrent trade Union action disturbed to normal life of the
citizenry, would have been for administrative and training convenience to
instill discipline and corps; and to, perhaps, reap the benefits of
oneness in corporate life.

At rising, in the late 1950s, the Railways Engineering Regiment was

commanded by Lt. Col B.D. Rampala (the then, General Manager,
Railways), and the Port and Telegraph Signals Regiment was commanded
by Lt. Col. C.a. Nicholas (The then Post Master-General). The leadership
qualities of the Commanding Officers, and the enthusiasm they infused
among the Men were evident in the participation of these two Units in the
Independence Day Parade of 1955.

Although no compulsion was exercised on Government Servants to join

these Departmental Units; the voluntary responses to join were very healthy.
However the enterprise drew protests from the Trade Unions had the
opposition in Parliament led by Mr. SWRD Bandaranaike; when it was
alleged that constraints were thrown round Trade Unions, were during a
strike, loyalties of a part of their membership would be with Armed Forces.

The United National Party of Sri John Kotalawela was defeated at the Polls
of 1956. Mr. SWRD Bandaranaike as the Prime Minister. The Prime
Minister wanted all Volunteer Governmental Units, and, those Units with
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territorial designations disbanded – the former for its ‘strike breaking role’;
and the latter, for his view that one of them as known to be disloyal to him
during the ; and the fact that regional designations cold lead to a
precedent for the creation of other regional Units say, for instance, in the
northern regions! Implementing the Prime Minister’s directive was going to
invariable deplete the manpower resource available for mobilization in an
emergency.

2. THE CEYLON ARMY NATIONAL DEFENCE CORPS. (CANDC)

“When the Commander of the Army made representations on the consequent
depletion of the deployable strength of the Army, the Prime Minister
approved of the raising of an infantry battalion of Regulars (Which, on
raising, became the ‘1st Battalion The Sinha Regiment’). A Volunteer Unit
comprising technical personnel who could handle essential services in the
event of strikes was also to be raised. This latter Unit was designated the
Ceylon Army National Defence Corps (CANDC) , and (ironically)
comprised volunteers from key departments such as the Railway, the Post &
Telegraph, and others which were necessary to keep the essential services
going in the event of strikes It was raised on 18 th June 1958, and
disbanded on 01 June 1963. It was commanded by Lt. Col. F.J.G. Caspersz
CE”. (Sri Lanka Army 50 years on: 1949-1999: A Sri Lanka Army
Publication).

3.
When the Ceylon Army National Defence Force was raised, apart from its
specialized duties it was called upon to perform in maintaining essential
services, it was deployed in normal Internal Security duties, in an infantry
role, when the need arose.
When the Ceylon Army National Defence Force was disbanded on 01 June
1963, most of its officers and Men were absorbed by two new Volunteer
Units, the 1st Ceylon National Guard, and the 2nd Ceylon National Guard that
were raised on the same day. The larger number was absorbed into the 2nd
National Guard.
In 1962 the Volunteer Artillery, Signals, and Engineer Units were disbanded
in consequence of their respective Commanding officers being allegedly
associated with the attempted abortive coup d’ etat of 1962. However
selected loyalists of the Government parties from the membership of all the
three disbanded Units were posted to the 1st Ceylon National Guard.
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4. Redesingations
The first redesignation occurred in 1979, when the 1st Ceylon National
Guard was Redesignated 2nd (Volunteer) Sri Lanka Armoured Corps,
responsible for only an infantry role in that Regiment.
On 22 January 1980 the 2nd Ceylon National Guard was Redesignated the 5th
Sri Lanka Artillery (Volunteers), limited to an infantry role in that Regiment.
The last redesignation, upto date, occurred on 01 August 1997, when the 2nd
(volunteer) Sri Lanka Armoured Corps was redesignated the 5th (Volunteer)
Battalion the Sri Lanka Light Infantry.

Brigadier AER Abeyesinghe, SLSI

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Note: Words and mark of exclamation parenthesized in para 2 of this Paper,
are those by the writer.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
History of the Ceylon Light Infantry; Oscar M Abeyratne
The Military History of Ceylon-An Outline: Maj.Gen.Anton Muttukumaru
Sri Lanka Army, 50 years On-1949 to 1999: A Sri Lanka Army Publication
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force – 117th Anniversary publications.
A SLAVF Publication
Historical Records – 5(V) SLLI and 5 SLA (V)