Brigadier APR David, VSV, USP, FBIM. PSC, officer and a gentleman

The news of the death of Brigadier APR David in Canada last week was sad news I received from Capt Lloyd Wijesinghe, my long standing friend and batchmate in the University and the Army, now living in Canada. I consider myself lucky to have served under Brig David as a subaltern when he was a Company Commander and the Second in Command of the Ceylon Light Infantry in the 1960s. The CLI is the oldest Infantry Regiment in the Sri Lanka Army.

He was an officer and a gentleman in the true sense of the word, teaching and guiding us to be efficient officers of highest integrity and honesty which helped me in my army career and life as well.

Born in 1930 in Jaffna, Ratnaraja David was educated in St Patrick’s College Jaffna and in Jaffna College Vaddukkodai. On completion of his education he joined the newly formed Ceylon Army in 1949 as a member of the first officer cadet batch trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. On graduation he was commissioned and posted to the CLI as a second lieutenant. He was the last surviving officer from his batch when he was called to rest last month. Two of his batch became Army Commanders, many prematurely retired and some retired after maximum service.

The turbulent times of the 1960s and 70s when there were two coups attempts was when politics crept into the army. At that time officers sympathetic to the two major political parties and closely associating with politicians were branded as actively involved in politics. Brigadier David had his ups and downs in his army career. If the 1962 coup planned by high ranking officers of the Army, Navy. Police and the Civil Service were successful, the history of Sri Lanka would have been different to what it is now and I imagine that we would be like Pakistan and Myanmar.

As a then major, Brigadier David was suspected of involvement in the 1962 coup and was sent on compulsory leave. With the next change of the government, with the Privy Council quashing the Supreme Court verdict in the coup case, all those who were sent on compulsory leave were recalled and reinstated with back pay and due promotions. Major David was among them.

Being a Sandhurst trained senior officer, Major David’s treatment and attitude towards directly enlisted young officers like me was quite different from that of many other Sandhurst trained seniors of that era. While many of them had a dim view of us, and looked down upon and ridiculed us at times, branding us as “arrack drinking cravat wearing comic opera types” in the late Dingo Dharmapala’s language, Major David was an exception. He treated us well and warmly welcomed us to the officer fraternity of the unit and Army of the day.

In my regiment this was the period I came directly under Major David as a subaltern in his company deployed on TAFAII (Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration) duties in Mannar. There was no terrorism then in the North or South of the country. In the base camp in Thalladi, we had a very interesting time. Coast watching posts and small detachments in the South at Silavaturai and Vankalai and Illuppakadai in the North were manned by soldiers and patrols were conducted along the coast to prevent any illegal immigrants from India landing in Sri Lanka.

The Mannar Island was manned by the Gemunu Watch. We had Navy and Police officers living among us in Thallady officers’ mess. A devout Catholic and a strict disciplinarian, Major David was very popular among all officers in Mannar and Thalladi as well as back in Colombo and Panagoda . He was witty and had a fine sense of humour which remained with him until his death. During frequent gatherings in the officers’ messes he regaled us with his hilarious experiences in the army as an instructor in the ATC (Army Training Center) and his life in general. In Mannar he was well supported and his stories were spiced by war veterans like Capt. Chinniah, CEME and Capt. Wignarajah, SLOC.

After the change of Government in 1970 he was sent again on the second sojourn of compulsory leave and recalled and reinstated with due promotions in 1977 when the UNP came back into power. During his service in the Army Brig David followed many professional courses. He was the first Sri Lankan Officer to follow the Staff College Course at Wellington in India in 1961. He remained in the Army holding many responsible appointments until he retired in 1982 when he was the Military Secretary.

He then migrated to Canada with his wife. He visited Sri Lanka very frequently and I had the good fortune of meeting him several times during his visits and reminiscing pleasant memories. Let me wish this Officer and Gentleman, Sir, May Your Soul Rest in Peace.

Maj Gen AMU Seneviratne, Rtd.