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The Formative Years

A role had now to be fashioned for the Navy. Already, it had accepted the role of "Aid to Civil Power" and the security of the Port of Colombo. The arrival of VIJAYA had enabled Anti-smuggling and Anti-illicit Immigration Patrols to be carried out. The task of fashioning a naval policy thus fell on the shoulders of the Captains of the Navy during this period: Capt. W.E. Banks, Capt. J.R.S. Brown, Capt. (later Cmde.) P.M.B. Chavasse all officers on loan from the RN and Capt. (later Rear Adm.) G.R.M. de Mel in 1955.

The Navy had first to find a home. After Naval Headquarters was made available to the R.Cy.N, the Barracks was shifted to Galle Buck to H.M.Cy.S Gemunu I, leaving Kochchikade as GEMUNU II and the VNF's H.M.Cy.S. LANKA. A Wardroom for officers was also acquired at Flagstaff Street. Training assumed importance and a base was established in Diyatalawa, which was later commissioned H.M.Cy.S. RANGALLA.

The operational tasks soon became pressing. A small shore-based camp commissioned H.M.Cy.S. KAL ARU was the first move northwards, but the Navy lacked small craft to patrol off-shore. Till the Patrol Craft on order arrived, KAL ARU was abandoned and H.M.Cy.S. ELARA commissioned at Talaimannar, which did patrolling on craft borrowed from the Port Commission and Customs. Soon, however, the craft on order began to arrive, and ELARA shifted to Karainagar. A Seaward Defence Boat KOTIYA, to Long Patrol Boats HANSAYA and LIHINIYA and four Short Patrol Boats SERUWA, DIYAKAWA, TARAWA and KORAWAKKA gave ELARA the teeth to back VIJAYA up by patrolling the Palk Straits. Powers under the Customs Ordinance were devolved on Naval Officers for this purpose.

VIJAYA began a series of visits overseas as part of her duties as a training vessel. She sailed for the Maldives with Minister Sir John Kotelawela in 1951, again when that country was proclaimed a Republic in 1953 and yet again in 1954 with VNF personnel on training. Similar training cruises were undertaken to Port Blair (Andaman Island), Bombay, Madras and Cochin. In 1955, she took a Tri-Service Buddhist Delegation to Burma for the "Chatta Sangayanaya", carrying a sapling from the Sri Maha Bodhi. Several Buddha Statues were received as gifts, two of which were enshrined in Nagadvipa Temple and at Tissa Viharaya in Trincomalee. She also participated in JET exercises (Joint Exercises, Trincomalee), an annual event from 1950 to 1962.

Ashore, Aid to Civil Power was extended on many occasions. To keep the Port safe, Port Commission Officers were commissioned as a separate division of the VNF, H.M.Cy.S. TISSA, with Capt. M. Chandrasoma, OBE as Commanding Officer. This Division was disbanded in 1956.

Ceremonial duties abounded. With the adoption of a National Flag, a Naval Ensign showing the National Ensign showing the National Flag instead of the British flag was adopted, and first hoisted on Navy Day, 1955. The Navy manned the rope for the "Ransivige" at the funeral of the first Prime Minister. VIJAYA fired a 21 gun salute to the Nation in 1951 on her single 4" gun, without a misfire. In 1953, she was in need of a re-fit and sailed for England with the Coronation Contingent on board.

The British papers screamed "THE FLEET'S IN!" as our "one ship Navy" limped into Grimsby and into dry-dock. The RN lent another ship of the same class (VIJAYA II) so that the R.Cy.N. could participate in the Queen's Fleet Review at Portsmouth. She returned in time for Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ceylon and escorted the Royal Yacht GOTHIC into Colombo Port, which became the first ship to secure alongside the Queen Elizabeth Quay. Her Majesty later visited VIJAYA. The next year, Prince Phillip visited Ceylon again, this time on the new Royal Yacht BRITANNIA.