08th August 2016 21:52:09 Hours
Commemorative ceremonies in connection with the 24th death anniversary of Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and several other military War Heroes took place this morning (8) at Anuradhapura in the presence of Mrs Laly Kobbekaduwa and a host of military officers.
The main ceremony was at the statue of late Lieutenant General Kobbekaduwa at the centre of Anuradhapura town where Mrs Kobbekaduwa as the Chief Guest laid floral wreaths and the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) troops presented honours to his memory. Lieutenant Colonel P.R Pathiravithana, Commandant, Armoured Corps Training Centre represented the SLAC troops.
An alms-giving at Lankaramaya afterwards to a group of 14 Buddhist monks invoked merits on the fallen War Hero.
The next main ceremony took place at the Kaleththewa 3 Sri Lanka Armoured Corps unit where Major General Milinda Peiris, Colonel Commandant, SLAC graced the event.
Floral wreath-laying and the Last Post ceremony took place in front of the War Heroes Memorial Park as a tribute to the memory of the fallen War Hero. Major General Milinda Peiris, Colonel Commandant, SLAC attended the ceremony together with several senior SLAC officers and other rankers.
Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, an old Trinitian, joined the Sri Lanka Army on 25 May 1960. After the basic military training at the Army Training centre, he left for Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK for further training and was commissioned to the Sri Lanka Armoured corps, as a Second Lieutenant on 3 August 1962.
Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, one of the finest warriors ever produced by the Army in our contemporary history, fell silent on August 8, 1992 along with a few more fellow military veterans and soldiers, Major General Wijaya Wimalarathne, Rear Admiral Mohan Jayamaha, Lieutenant Colonel H.R Stephen, Lieutenant Colonel G.H Ariyarathne, Lieutenant Colonel Y.N Palipana, Commander Asanga Lankathilaka, Lieutenant Colonel Nalin de Alwis, Lieutenant Commander C.B Wijepura and Private W.J Wickremasinghe while they were on a military assignment in Araly Point, Kayts, Jaffna.
Lieutenant General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, along with several other military leaders made the supreme sacrifice when their vehicle fell victim to an LTTE pressure mine on 8 August 1992 when they were in Araly Point, Kayts, Jaffna.
