A NOTE from the THUPPAHIYAA, 25 February 2025
This email memo from a ‘middle class’ Sri Lankan born before World War Two and nurtured in an elite college whci addresses mates nourished in the same schools and planter/military circles is of considerable socio-political significance. Its implications are all the stronger because the “Letter” is An Epitaph for Richard Hermon, an Extraordinary and Rambanctious Sri Lankan of the Old School.
AN EMAIL MEMO from Retd Major Lalin Fernando to a Circle of Ceylonese Pals, 23 February 2025
Dickie was in Alison, a bit junior to me. His cousins Duncan and Tyrone were there too Dickie played Rugby with me in the 2nd XV v SPC (1955) on their grounds when he was 14 or less. There were no age groups then. The Peterites average age would have been around 19. It included their Cricket captain Ken (20 yrs old) but not Russel Duckworth. Dont know if Lakshman Serasinghe too played. Our oldest would have been 16 or so. The first XV match was played before our match as the seniors wanted to watch the CR v CH match. It left us brats to the after the match mercies of the Bamba crowd!
We were told that if we won things would be tough for us. We won easily (16-3?). Dickie gave them hell. Contesting a race for the ball a Peterite (was it Jayantha Fernando?) ended with a dislocated shoulder. However we came away unscathed after the match.
The next time we played was at Nittawella and then Longdon Place. We played against each other. At the first Vijitha Udurawana and I played for STC and the next only I. The following year I think Nihal Algama and Selva also played for STC famously. Shanthi (later doctor) Paranavitharne played for STC in 1956 I think.
Dickie was everything Russel said about him. He was also loyal to his friends, Trinity, Alison House and SL. He was generous. I know he was making contributions to charities right along, but rarely talked about them. Arden who was doing the same for war charities in SL kept me informed. He was very tough, could be abrasive, spoke his mind regardless and had a rolliking sense of humour. Despite terrible setbacks like losing his son (as I remember being told by Arden I think as Dickie never mentioned it) he lived a full life. Could argue like a lawyer. Never admitted defeat. Did not always agree with him.
Came from a family that brought fame. His father from Kingswood served in the Great War (WW1) in the Brigade of Guards and won the Military Medal (MM) for gallantry. He presented a lot of war memorabilia to Kingswood College. His uncle Roy playing for STC …. scored a hundred or maybe two in the Big Matches and played for Ceylon as a schoolboy as I remember (did not research this info properly ).
Related to many. After planting for a while Dickie went to UK to join the RAF; but failed the eye test. In Australia where he then went he joined the Australian Army Reserve and served in the Cavalry. Having graduated from their Staff College he was later also an instructor there, …. which says a lot for his professional acumen. He used to engage with me on military history, tactics etc
A few years ago he got me to contact the Kingswood Principal to gift the school with his father’s Great War things I spoke to the Principal and arranged for it. However, the Principal was a bit of a let down as he asked for a donation too which I believe Dickie gave.
We used to meet often when he was in Uva and I in Diyatalawa.(DLA) We played rugby together for Uva I believe in 1968 together with Mike de Alwis, Franklyn Jacob John Boyd Moss, Trevor Anghie, Ronnie Munaweera, Sarath de Soyza, Nihal Wadugodapitiya and captain David Witham etc. We played squash at DLA on my regiment’s wooden floor court (Old Royal Navy court used by Lord Mountbatten’s SEAC staff.) Richard was not too good so we did not stop until he won at least one set of about 20 we had to play.
The Uva Branch of the OBA was inaugurated by Lt Col (later Brigadier) John Halangode at our first regimental mess in DLA……(of the first 7 officers 3 were Trinitians). I don’t know whether it still exists. My brother Eshin was the first secretary. Dickie constantly reminded me of his enduring friendship with Eshin over the years even though Eshin had died many years before. Before the first meeting Dickie dared Ken Murray to a car race inside the camp (Sign posted speed 5mph) and succeeded in denting Ken’s car. Ken was convinced Dicke was mad.
Some years ago (2015?) when Dickie was due to visit SL he asked me to arrange mainly for old (1950s) Alisonians to have lunch with him. Lunch was arranged at the new Akase Kade restaurant (it is now only a delivery service now) near Liberty Plaza..’ Simon’ Seneratne missed it due to a dental appointment that did not go well. We had a great time. Dickie, who hosted the curry lunch, decided to pay for the drinks too. Met his partner too.
He had old-fashioned ideas and loyalties that bound him firmly to his adopted country and waxed fiercely about them. I noticed none contested him, though I guessed few agreed. When he asked why I was not communicating much with him when 2 wars broke out, I told him I was not with him and therefore observed silence. He recalled our friendship of over 70 years and said nothing should interfere with that. There were no more emails to save Australia and the world.
He also told me he was not in good health with multiple issues (about which Arden, who shared a cavalier attitude to illnesses with Dickie, kept me informed whenever I asked after Dickie) but I knew he would never give up. Suddenly, and sadly, he is no more. One more very good friend has gone to a better world. May he rest in peace.
I share the grief and pain of his relatives and those closest to him. My deepest sympathies go out to them.
Lalin
LORENZ PEREIRA
Beautifully written dear Lalin. You certainly have a bloody magnificent memory.
Dickie has had an incredibly exciting, adventurous and full life reading your explicit account of part of his journey.
I met him only once and that was a year ago In Melbourne. Would have loved to have listened to his many adventures. He was extremely keen that my wife and I come over to see him. We corresponded regularly via email and always looked forward to hearing his point of view, which on most occasions I fully agreed
Quite a few didn’t take to his aggressive behaviour. I found no fault at all.
Rest In Peace dear Dickie
Lorenz
ALSO NOTE
- https://www.historyofceylontea.com/media-archive/richard-dickie-hermon–318
- https://thuppahis.com/2022/12/20/the-hermon-lineage-in-the-plantation-world-of–ceylon-lanka/
- https://thuppahis.com/2017/07/18/ceylon-tea-and-its-surrounds-richard-simon/
- L. A. Wickremeratne: “The Development of Transportation in Ceylon, 1800-1947,” 1 November 2021, https://thuppahis.com/2021/11/01/the-development-of-transportation-in-ceylon-1800-1947/ … Rep. from University History of Ceylon, ed., by KM De Silva, 1973
