Category Archives: Empire loyalism

November 12, 2023 · 3:12 pm

The Cenotaph in Colombo: A British Imperial War Memorial

Suren Ratwatte, whose chosen title is “A Fitting Memorial” ... in tracing the history of Colombo’s War Cenotaph built a hundred years ago ... presented on 28th May 2023  … while the highlighting is the work of The Editor, Thuppahi

 In 1923 Ceylon was a different place to the Sri Lanka of today. The land was ruled by the Empire’s masters, ensconced in their ‘Britishers Only’ Colombo Club near Galle Face Green. The Ceylonese had, however, formed their own rival Orient Club located near the racecourse.

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October 11, 2023 · 9:08 am

Royal College in Colombo: Its History

Lam Seneviratne, whose preferred title is “100 Years of Royal College at Reid Avenue”

A centenary in the life of an Institution is a very long period and calls for much celebration. However, for Royal College, now 188 years old, a grand celebration to mark 100 years at Reid Avenue may not be appropriate.

 

 

 

 

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May 7, 2023 · 9:33 pm

The Anzac Story: Rushing into the Fields of Slaughter?

Binoy Kampmark, in Countercurrents, 26 April 2023, where the title reads “Politicians and the Anzac Tradition: A Story of Manipulation and Mythology”

While the mass slaughtering of, and slaughter by, soldiers, is always a touchy subject of commemoration, a tension has existed between those who did the fighting, and those who ordered it.  Comfortably secure in furnished rooms and battle props, planners would, as they still do, draw up the blueprints, concoct the strategy, and give the orders.

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April 4, 2023 · 12:50 am

Bodies upon Bodies: The Horrors of War! When Will We Ever Learn ….

USA’s AUKUS programme today[i] in the midst of the war raging in the Ukraine demands reflections upon the death-toll and horrors of trench warfare during World War One.

“Every nation was profligate of its manpower and conducted the war as if there were no limit to the number of men who were fit to be thrown into the furnace to feed the flames of war.” …. David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister on the First World War

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March 26, 2023 · 4:06 pm

Ceylonese Volunteers in the Midst of Trench Warfare Carnage – World War One

Suren Ratwatte, whose chosen title reads as “Battle of the Somme and the Trinitians at the frontlines” …. while his text has had Highlights imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

Suren Ratwatte writes about the bloodiest chapter in the history of the British Army in WW II, where his grandfather Sir Richard Aluwihare and three other schoolmates faced the brunt of enemy fire.

What remains today: The trenches in France where the 29th Division (among whom were the young soldiers from Ceylon), fought in 1916. Pix by Suren Ratwatte

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March 13, 2023 · 4:18 am

Louis F. Obeyesekere: An Empire Loyalist who went down when the “Ciotat” was sunk by an U-Boat

This article was originally written and published by Louis Frederick Obeyesekere’s great grandnephew, Sheannal Anthony Obeyesekere at: https://medium.com/@serendibrising/  …..  Item taken from SerendibRising, 3 March 2023, entitled  “Louis Frederick Obeyesekere: Lost out at sea on Christmas Eve” … sent to Thuppahi by Quintus Andradi

Louis Frederick (Freddy) J. Wijeratne Obeyesekere was born in the early 1890s. He was the forth and youngest child of Mudaliyar Henry Ferdinandus Wijeratne Obeyesekere and Henrietta Isabel (Ellen) Perera Wijesinha Goonetillaka¹ who had married in 1881 at All Saints Church, Galle.

                                                            F Obeyesekere’s name is engraved on the Cenotaph War Memorial at Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo. Photo credits: Mithila Gunathilake and Quintus Andradi

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February 3, 2023 · 1:08 pm

“Alfred House”– Its Majestic Nineteenth Century Opulence

Hugh Karunanayake, whose choice of title reads as “Nineteenth Century Opulence: The Story of Alfred House” … presented here with highligting emphasis imposed by The Editor, Thuppahi

Nineteenth Century Ceylon boasted of many stately homes such as Queens House, Horagolla Walauwwa, and Alfred House.  Alfred House achieved considerable fame as the venue for a much-remembered dinner in 1870 to the visiting Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred then titled the Duke of Edinburgh.

Alfred House –-by Slimm & Co

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January 4, 2023 · 5:50 pm

Reginald Hermon: War Hero during World War One

Features presented in the book VOLUNTEERS fROM CEYLON (2022) … supplemented by additional tit-bits from Richard Dickie Hermon of Trinity College who is now resident in Melbourne, Australia

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December 11, 2022 · 8:34 pm

Working on the Book PEOPLE INBETWEEN

Michael Roberts

The ‘discovery’ of the Lorenz Cabinet in the Royal Asiatic Society in the 1980s led me to combine with Percy Colin-Thome[1] and Ismeth Raheem in working up this material into a plan envisaging a  set of books (four volumes).[2] The first in this projected series was drafted by me and came out in 1989 courtesy of Sarvodaya Publishing Services (within the limitations of book production in that period).[3] This book, People Inbetween,  has been out of print for quite a while.

 

 

 

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November 28, 2022 · 2:56 pm

Sri Lankan Navy’s “Salute” on February 4th: Thereby A Tale

Somasiri Devendra’s NOTE in The Ceylankan, 25/4, November 2022

On Independence Day, February 4th, this year 2022, , the Sri Lanka Navy fired its traditional “Salute to the Nation” from aboard ship, “Gajabahu”, anchored off Galle Face. In 1951, “Vijaya” had saluted the then Head of State of a self-governing Dominion, (King George VI) while “Gajabahu” saluted the elected Head of State of a Republic.

 

 

 

 

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