Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps

Last updated
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps
Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps cap badge.jpg
Cap badge
Active1979–present
CountryFlag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka
AllegianceFlag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka
BranchFlag of the Sri Lankan Army.png  Sri Lanka Army
Role Combat service support
Size4 battalions
Regimental Headquarters Borella, Colombo
Motto(s)The Powerful Mind is the Strongest Weapon
Engagements Sri Lankan Civil War
Website alt.army.lk/slawc
Commanders
Colonel CommandantMaj. Gen. H.H.K.S.S. Hewage
Centre CommandantBrig. P.G.C.S. Gallage
Notable
commanders		Lt. Col. A.W. Thambiraja [1]
Lt. Col. Kumudini Weerasekara [2]

The Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (SLAWC) is a combat service supoort corps of the Sri Lanka Army. The corps was raised in 1979. The regimental headquarters of this corps is at Borella, Colombo. [3] Initially, members of this corps were employed in non-combat staff duties but later were employed in field duties. [1]

Contents

It was the vision of former army commander General Denis Perera to create this corps. [1]

History

The corps was created by the help of the British Army's Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) and 3 women were sent to Britain for eight months long officer training who returned to Sri Lanka in August 1979 after completion of training and were taken into the Sri Lanka army's women's corps in November of the same year. Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps was officially formed as a regular army corps on 14 September 1979, on this day the first battalion was formed which was designated as 1 SLAWC. [2]

WRAC instructors from Britain came to Sri Lanka in 1980 to train Sri Lankan females for Sri Lankan women's corps and 10 women were trained into the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa for one month, and after passing out they were directly given the corporal rank. In 1981, 45 females were recruited and were given training of clerical works and exchange operators, this was the first batch of females who were in the rank private, the second batch of female privates was taken in the same year who were also given training on clerical duties and also signal duties.

The first batch of females commissioned from the Sri Lanka Military Academy passed out on 18 August 1984.

In 1984, the fifth batch of female privates was taken, and this batch was given light machine gun training, this was the first batch of the women's corps where weapon training was conducted. In 1987, 8 women were deployed into the Vadamarachchi Operation, this was the first combat operation where women's corps members participated. [2]

On 14 May 1982 President of Sri Lanka J. R. Jayewardene with his wife visited the Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps Headquarters. [2]

Lieutenant Colonel A.W. Thambiraja was the first commanding officer of the first battalion (1 SLAWC) who was appointed on 14 September 1979. [2] The first female commanding officer of the first SLAWC battalion was Lieutenant Colonel Kumudini Weerasekara.

Units

Regular

Volunteer

Notable members

Order of precedence

Preceded by Order of Precedence Succeeded by

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History of the Sri Lanka Women's Corps Regiment". alt.army.lk/slawc. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "History of 1 SLAWC". alt.army.lk/slawc. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps HQ Complex Enters into its New 5-Storied Building". news.lk. 25 September 2021. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021.


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