Launching of the book, “We must have a Navy”, to coincide with the 65th Navy Day celebrations

The book, “We must have a Navy”, which speaks volumes about the Navy in Sri Lanka from a Crown Colony to a Sovereign Republic, written by Instructor Lieutenant Commander (retd) Somasiri Devendra was launched at the 65th Navy Day celebrations get-together held on 19th December 2015 at SLNS Rangalla.

The book is a personal memoir which offers a wealth of information about the very important events that took place in the Navy from 1937 to 1972. A special feature in the compilation is the incorporation of the socio-political parameter to the narrative enabling the reader to understand the changes that had occurred in the military and the country during the period covered in the historical account given by the author.

Former Commanders of the Navy, Admiral Basil Goonasekara, Admiral Cecil Thisera, Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Admiral Jayanath Colombage and Admiral Jayantha Perera were present at the event along with Mrs. AWH Perera, the wife of the former Navy Commander, the Late Rear Admiral AWH Perera, Mrs. WWEC Fernando, the wife of the former Navy Commander, the late Admiral WWEC Fernando and Mrs. Devendra, the wife of the author. Marking the launch of the book, the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne presented a copy of the book to Dr. Amy Searight, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and South East Asia.