Y. Balaretnarajah
Y. Balaretnarajah | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |  Sri Lanka |
| Service | Sri Lanka Army |
| Years of service | 1959-1992 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Sri Lanka Armoured Corps |
| Commands | Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, GOC, 1 Division |
| Battles / wars | 1971 Insurrection, Sri Lankan Civil War, Insurrection 1987-89 |
| Awards | Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama |
Major General Y. Balaretnarajah, VSV, USP, ndc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan military leader, he was the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army; Commandant of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force; GOC, 1 Division; Brigade Commander of the Armoured Brigade, 21 Brigade, 24 Brigade and Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna.
Education
Born July 22, 1939 he was educated at the St. John's College, Jaffna and at the Jaffna College. Joining the Ceylon Army in November 1959, he received his basic officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He had completed the Armour Young Officers Course of the British Army at the Royal Armoured Corps Training Centre and Advance Armour Officers Course of the Indian Army. He is a graduate of National Defence College, India.
Military career
After completion of basic officer training Balaretnarajah commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Ceylon Armoured Corps on December 21, 1961. He served as a Troop Leader of the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, Officer Instructor at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa and a Staff Officer at the Army Headquarters and Northern Command Headquarters during the 1971 Insurrection before returning to the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment as a Squadron Commander with the rank of Captain. Promoted to the rank of Major he was the Deputy Commandant, Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa before becoming a Staff Officer in the Logistics Command.
Colonel Balaretnarajah, headed the Logistics Command as the Director Logistics and with the out set of the Sri Lankan Civil War raised and commanded the 24 Brigade before becoming the Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna. He thereafter served as brigade bommander of the Armoured Brigade and the 21 Brigade with the rank of Brigadier. In 1989, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and took up command as the GOC, 1 Division. Thereafter he served as Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force before becoming the Chief of Staff of the Army. He had also served as the Regimental Commander of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. He retired from the army with the rank of Major General, in 1992. He was the President of the Armoure Veteran's Association and Vice Patron of the St Johns College Jaffna Old Boys Association South Sri Lanka.
Major General Balaretnarajah has been awarded the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal and Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal.