General Hamilton Wanasinghe, the 11th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, has passed away at the age of 91.
Born in Malwana, a suburb of Colombo, General Wanasinghe was educated at Ananda College, where he demonstrated strong leadership and athletic abilities. During his school years, he served as the Sergeant Major of the Cadet Platoon and was an accomplished marksman on the college rifle shooting team. His shooting skills earned him a place in the Ceylon Inter-Dominion small-bore rifle shooting competitions.
He began his military career in 1954 as an Officer Cadet in the Ceylon Army and received his initial training at the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK. Upon completion, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Ceylon Artillery. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, taking on numerous leadership roles before being appointed Army Commander in 1988.
Following his retirement from active military service, General Wanasinghe continued to serve the nation in prominent capacities, including as Joint Operations Commander and later as Secretary of Defence until his retirement in 1995.
