The Navy At Peace 1946-1950
With the end of the war, de-mobilization commenced. The CRNVR reverted to Ceylonese control and the wartime CO/CRNVR, Capt. W.G. Beauchamp VRD, CBE, stepped down. There was, however, a need to keep a number of persons under mobilization: from the British point of view, the Admiralty envisaged "the retention of small permanent forces in peacetime" and, from the Ceylonese point of view, the end of colonial status was near and a "Navy-in-waiting" was desirable. So was born the "Nucleus of the Navy", comprising 9 Officers and 91 Sailors, with Cdr. G.R.M. de Mel as CO/CRNVR.
During this period, 1946-1950, many of the Navy's future roles was shaped out of a combination of traditional naval roles and situations that were actually faced. As its first task, it had to close all books, de-commission ships and establishments and dispose of warships and, immediately after, open new books and commission the Kochchikade barracks as headquarters and barracks of the "Nucleus".
Apart from the idea of keeping the CRNVR's skills from deteriorating by sending groups for training on board RN ships, Aid to Civil Power soon assumed an important role. Security of the Port of Colombo became a naval function, following the threat of strike action. Tugs, Signal Station and Lighters were manned. Later, other installations as the Stanley Poser Station and the Municipal Pumping Station were entrusted to the Navy during strikes. The major flood of 1947 was the Navy taking boats inland for flood-relief duties.
Two incidents stand out from among the others. One was the sailing of a 75-foot, 55-ton Purse-seine trawler from Sydney to Colombo, via Brisbane, Townsville, Thursday Island, Port Darwin, Dilly (East Timor), Soerabaya, Batavia, Singapore, Penang, Rangoon, Akyab and Madras to Colombo. Sailing 8,000 miles in two months was the CRNVR's longest trip, and its rigours told on the Captain, LCdr. Carl Ohlmus, who died soon after. The other was ceremonial in character: the visit of 17 sailors under Lt. R. Kadiragammar to London in 1946 as part of the Ceylon contingent at the Victory Parade that year.
Independence, in the form of Dominion status within the Commonwealth, finally came on 4th February 1948. In keeping with this new status, the CRNVR took over from the RN all liaisons with visiting naval vessels, lined the streets for the ceremonial opening of Parliament and paraded a Guard of Honour for H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester when he arrived for Independence Day.
The "Nucleus" now started gearing itself up for full naval status. It was expanded both in numbers and quality. More ex-CRNVR personnel previously de-mobilized were recalled. New blood was infused at recruit and technical sailor and Cadet-entry and Direct-entry Officer levels. They were also sent abroad for training awaiting the arrival of a proper naval vessel to be the Navy's flagship.
In 1949, H.M.S. FLYING FISH, an Algerian Class Fleet Minesweeper was given to Ceylon on indefinite loan by Britain and was commissioned H.M.Cy.S Vijaya: no other name, said the then Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake, was appropriate. The ship was taken over in Singapore by a small core group who understudied the RN crew there and on passage to Trincomalee. Here the Ceylonese crew took over and the rest of the crew joined her for "working up". She then sailed to Colombo under Lt. R. Kadiragammar for the formal transfer. After this, she visited Galle and Hambantota where the ship was 'open to the public'.
With VIJAYA, the Navy could undertake sea operation. Anti-smuggling and anti-illicit immigration patrols commenced in the Palk Bay area, with gunnery practice off the uninhabited Kachchativu Island. One of VIJAYA's roles was to give greater exposure to life and operations at sea, and to "show the flag". She thus sailed in convoy with H.M.S. KENYA, the flagship of the East Indies Fleet, which carried Buddhist Relics to Burma. This was to be the first of the passages to Burma for the VIJAYA.
By this time, the legislative framework for a Regular Navy had been drawn. Before it was presented in Parliament, Cdr. G.R.M. de Mel proceeded to U.K. on a year's training and the Naval Advisor to the Government, Capt. W.E. Banks, CBE, DFC, was appointed to act for him. On 9th December 1950, the "Navy Act, Chapter 358 of the Legislative Enchantments of Ceylon" was passed. Capt. Banks was appointed Captain of the Navy and all those who had served since 1937 were deemed members of either the Regular and Volunteer Forces of the "Royal Ceylon Navy".
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