The Gemunu Watch (GW) ("King Dutugemunu's Own") is a infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, formed with troops from the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has been deployed in many major operations against the LTTE. It is made up of 17 regular units, 1 RHQ unit and 9 volunteer units. Headquartered at Kuruwita Army Camp, Ratnapura. It is named after one of the most famous Lankan Kings, King Dutugemunu.
History The roots of the Gemunu Watch can be traced to the volunteer formations of the British Empire and the formation of the Ceylon Infantry Regiment by a Gazette notification on 1 April 1881. Later, in order to encourage the concept of volunteering, the volunteer force was expanded to include units at the district level. Accordingly, two Volunteer Detachments were set up in Galle and Matara in the old Dutch forts. Thereafter, the Ceylon Defence Force was established under Army Order No: 08 of 1910, to cater to the administration and discipline of these regiments, and came under the direct purview of the Commandant, Ceylon Defence Force. During World War I (1914 to 1918), the Ceylon Defence Force was engaged in active service and the troops deployed in Galle and Matara too were mobilized. After the War, the CDF was systematically "Ceylonised" by the appointment of Ceylonese officers as commanding officers of battalions.
Following Ceylon gaining self-rule in 1948, and the establishment of the Ceylon Army under the Army Act, the Ceylon Defence Force became the Ceylon Volunteer Force and the detachments in Galle and Matara were renamed as "B" Company of the 2nd Battalion (Volunteer), Ceylon Light Infantry. The "B" Company in Galle and Matara was renamed the Ruhuna Volunteer Regiment in 1950 with Colonel C. A. Dharmapala, its first commanding officer. In 1956, with the change in the national political leadership to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Ruhuna Regiment did not find favour with the political hierarchy and was disbanded. Subsequently, in October 1956, the second Regular Infantry Battalion, the 1st Battalion of the Sinha Regiment, was established in the Imperial Camp in Diyatalawa. Thereafter, the 2nd [Volunteer] Battalion of the Sinha Regiment was raised in Kandy. When the Ruhuna Regiment was disbanded, the troops located in Galle and Matara were attached to various units. Subsequently, the troops that were deployed in Galle formed the "C" Company of the 2nd [Vol] Battalion of the Sinha Regiment. In the latter half of 1959, 110 soldiers deployed as "C" Company of the 2nd [Vol] Battalion, Sinha Regiment under the command of Capt. D.S. Amarasuriya were brought together to form a new Volunteer Unit called the Gemunu Regiment, which was raised in Galle on 23 November 1959. Capt. D.S. Amarasuriya was appointed the commanding officer. The new Unit did not have a flag or cap badge, therefore, it was originally proposed to have the image of a Leopard associated with the Yala Sanctuary with cross rifles designed for the cap badge. However, it was not adopted. As the Permanent Staff of the Unit was drawn from the Sinha Regiment, they followed the traditions associated with the Sinha Regiment.
The third Regular Infantry Regiment, the 1st Battalion of the Gemunu Watch, was raised at the Ceylon Volunteer Force [CVF] Camp in Diyatalawa on 7 December 1962, and subsequently occupied the Rangala Camp of the Royal Ceylon Navy and the Imperial Camp vacated by the Sinha Regiment (which had been moved to Colombo). As Gemunu originated in Ruhuna, the Volunteer Gemunu Regiment was established in Galle and the detachment located in Matara was renamed Gemunu Battalions and formed the Volunteer counterparts of the 1st Battalion of the Gemunu Watch.
The Founding Father and first commanding officer of the 1st Battalion of the Gemunu Watch, Lieut. Colonel John Halangode was from the 1st Battalion of the Ceylon Light Infantry. He was inspired by the traditions of the British Regiment, the Black Watch, and inculcated those norms and customs into the 1st Battalion of the Gemunu Watch. The nucleus of 1GW consisted of Officers and Other Rank Cadres drawn from the Regular Units already established.
Units
NoUnitFormedDisbandedNotes1 1st Battalion, Gemunu Watch7 December 1962 2 2nd (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 October 1964 3 3rd (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 September 1965 4 4th Battalion, Gemunu Watch27 December 1985 5 5th Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 June 1987 First unit to be formed in the battle field, Vasavilan Jaffna. First commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel G.W.W. Perera.6 6th Battalion, Gemunu Watch22 May 1990 First commanding officer was Major M.M. Sumanasena7 7th Battalion, Gemunu Watch17 September 1992 On 13 June 2000, this unit was amalgamated with 5 Gemunu Watch and on 17 May 2005 the Battalion was re-designated as the 7th Battalion8 8th Battalion, Gemunu Watch28 January 1993 8 Gemunu Watch was amalgamated with the 6 Gemunu Watch on 9 June 2000 and on 17 May 2005, 8 Gemunu Watch re-commenced working as an independent Unit once again.9 9th Battalion, Gemunu Watch24 January 1994 On 18 June 2000, 9 Gemunu Watch was amalgamated with 1 Gemunu Watch and on 24 January 2002 it re-commenced functioning independently10 10th (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 June 1994 11 11th Battalion, Gemunu Watch4 September 1996 On 17 May 2005, 11 Gemunu Watch was renamed as 7 Gemunu Watch. Later this Unit once more became 11 Gemunu Watch on 4 October 2007.12 12th Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 January 1997 12 Gemunu Watch was amalgamated with 4 Gemunu Watch on 12 June 2000, but became an independent Unit on 11 November 2002.14 14th (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch7 January 1997 15 15th (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 December 2007 16 16th (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch9 May 2008 17 17th Battalion, Gemunu Watch16 October 2008 18 18th Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 December 2008 19 19th Battalion, Gemunu Watch12 January 2009 20 20th (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch7 March 200921 November 201821 21st (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch1 May 200915 November 201822 22nd (V) Battalion, Gemunu Watch29 July 200913 March 201223 23rd Battalion, Gemunu Watch15 October 2009 24 24th Battalion, Gemunu Watch9 November 2009 25 25th Battalion, Gemunu Watch25 September 2010 1st Reinforcement [RFT] Battalion formed on 25 September 2008 was renamed as 25 Battalion, Gemunu Watch on 25 September 201026 26th Battalion, Gemunu Watch20 September 201025 April 20122nd RFT Battalion of the Gemunu Watch formed on 31 January 2009 was renamed as 26 Gemunu Watch on 20 September 2010.27 27th Battalion, Gemunu Watch20 September 201025 February 20123rd RFT Battalion of the Gemunu Watch formed on 16 April 2009 was re-designated as 27 Gemunu Watch on 20 September 2010.28 HQ BN Battalion, Gemunu Watch Initially formed as RFT Battalion of the Gemunu Watch on 17 January 1998. On 8 October 1999, the RFT Battalion was renamed the Headquarter Battalion.
Major Operations
Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration (TAFII) Anti-Smuggling 1971 JVP insurrection Operation Liberation (Vadamarachchi Operation) Sath Bala Balavegaya Thrivida Balaya Akunupahara Sun Island Green Belt I and II Operation Riviresa Edibalaya I and II Dasa Bala Operation Jayasikurui Randunna I and II Ranajaya Ranabala Operation Jayashakthi Ranagosa I, II, III, IV and V Kinihira VII Holding and securing the Kiran Camp in Batticaloa Eastern Theatre of Eelam War IV 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive
Recipients of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya Corporal P. M. Nilantha Pushpa Kumara Captain U. G. A. S. Samaranayake Captain H. G. M. H. I. Megawarna Lieutenant W. T. Jayatillake
Chiefs of Staff
Brigadier Mano Madawela – 15th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Lakshman Algama – 25th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Patrick Fernando – 30th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Lohan Gunawardena – 34th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Dampath Fernando – 52nd Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Senarath Bandara – 57th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Priyantha Perera – 58th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.
Deputy Chiefs of Staff
Major General W. R. Wijerathne – 2 nd Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Parami Kulatunga – 18 th Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.
Colonels of the Regiment
NoColonel of the RegimentTook officeLeft office1 Brigadier G. H. de Silva 19.03.1988 01.01.19892 Brigadier NPALDS De Wijesekara 01.01.198915.01.1990 3 Major General Lakshman Algama 15.01.199027.01.1990 4 Brigadier WR Wijerathne 27.01.199024.09.19915Major General Lakshman Algama 24.09.199126.12.19926Brigadier WR Wijerathne 26.12.199215.02.19947Major General Lakshman Algama 15.02.199415.12.19948Major General WMP Fernando 15.12.199424.08.19959Major General GWW Perera 26.08.199520.01.199710Major General WMP Fernando 20.01.199701.01.199911Major General Parami Kulatunga 01.01.199924.01.199912Major General GWW Perera 24.01.199924.03.200013Major General Parami Kulatunga 25.03.200017.06.200214Major General KB Egodawele 17.06.200217.07.200315Major General Parami Kulatunga 17.07.200326.06.200616Major General S Udumalagala 05.07.200605.02.200817Major General LBR Mark 05.02.200818.09.200818Major General MK Jayawardana 18.09.200817.08.200919Major General LBR Mark 17.08.200905.05.201020Major General S Udumalagala 06.05.201024.02.201321Major General LBR Mark 24.02.201310.05.201422Major General PUS Vithanage 10.05.201406.06.201723Major General W B D P FERNANDO 2017.06.0624Major General KPA Jayasekera 25Major General TS Bangsajayah 2019.10.192020.08.0226Major General BVDP Abeynayake 03.08.202010.12.202027Major General HPNK Jayapathirane 11.12.202026.02.202128Major General WGHAS Bandara 26.02.202116.07.202129Major General SS Waduge 17.07.202105.10.202130Major General WLPW Perera 06.10.202106.12.202131Major General PML Chandrasiri 07.12.202108.05.202232Major General AC Lamahewa 09.05.202202.03.202333Major General EADP Edirisingha 03.03.202318.06.202334Major General SWB Welagedara 18.06.202323.11.202435Major General WBJK Wimalaratne 23.11.202422.10.202536Major General AMA Abeyawardana05.11.2025Present
Alliances – Black Watch
Notable members General T. I. Weerathunga, VSV – 9th Commander of the Army & High Commissioner to Canada General G. H. De Silva, RWP, VSV, USP – 13th Commander of the Army & High Commissioner to Pakistan Lieutenant General Parami Kulatunga, RSP, USP – Former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne, RWP, RSP, VSP, USP- Was transferred to the Gajaba Regiment as its 1st commanding officer when it was formed. Major General Lakshman Algama, VSP, USP – Chief of Staff of the Army The Honourable Colonel C. A. Dharmapala, OBE, ED – first commanding officer of 3 (Volunteer) Battalion, former Permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Security Advisor to the President J. R. Jayewardene, former Deputy Minister of Industries & Housing and was an ex Member of Parliament for Hakmana. Major General Lalin T Fernando – former Commander Security Forces Headquarters – Jaffna (SF HQ (J)) Brigadier J. G. Balthazar – former Chief of Staff of the Army and former Commander, Security Forces Jaffna Brigadier Ariyasinghe Ariyapperuma – Former Commander, Northern Command Brigadier John Halangode – first commanding officer and Commander Colombo Force Brigadier Hiran Halangode, RWP, RSP, USP, GW – Brigade Commander, 12th Brigade and Air Mobile Brigade Brigadier Rohitha Neil Akmeemana, RSP, USP – First commanding officer of the 9th battalion. Colonel Wickremasinghe Wimaladasa – Olympian and Asian Games gold medalist Colonel Rohitha Wickramathilake RSP, USP, GW – Commanding officer 4th Battalion.KIA in Kokilay, Welioya Lieutenant Colonel Srimal Mendis, RWP, GW – Officer Commanding, 1GW, KIA in Velvettiturai.
Order of precedence
External links and sources Sri Lanka Army Gemunu Watch