Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) was the Volunteer Naval Reserve of the British Crown Colony of Ceylon from 1938 to 1950.
It was established as the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) on January 1, 1938 under the Naval Volunteer Ordinance No 1 of 1937. It was made up of volunteers mainly from the mercantile sector of Colombo, consisting of 12 officers and 18 sailors, under the command of the newly commissioned Commander W G Beauchamp.
The headquarters of the force was set up on January 11, 1939 (formally opened on June 14, 1939) before the outbreak of the World War II, at Kochchikade. Commander Beauchamp was a director of J M Robertson & Co., Ltd.
Prior to Commander Beauchamp assuming command, two executive officers with sea going experience, Merchant Mariner Lieutenant F. B. Rigby Smith of the Ceylon Wharfage Co., Master Mariner, Lieutenant P. J. B. Okley, the Marine Superintend, P & O Lines and 2 Pay Master Lieutenants Noel Gratian and Susantha Fonseka were commissioned on January 1, 1938.
Recruitment and training of prospective officers and sailors were done at the old Ceylon Garrison Artillery building in Fort. Sea training was conducted on board harbour tugs, fisheries vessels, HMS Barnet and ships of the East Indies stations with a training cruise on board HMS Norfolk. Following the initial training the force had 16 officers and 28 Signalmen/Gunners.
With the outbreak of World War II, CNVF was mobilised for war service on August 31, 1939. The peace time force of week-end sailors had been trained for manning ships for mine sweeping and anti-submarine warfare.
Following mobiliation the Government set out rates and pay and allowance for the members of the volunteer force, removing their dependence on their substantive jobs. The CNVF formed a flotilla of harbour defence of the Colombo harbour and it also deployed personnel for shore duty at Naval Office, Colombo, port war signal stations at Trincomalee and in Kandy.
On October 1, 1943 the CNVF was placed under the command of the Royal Navy and renamed Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) becoming part of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve with peak strength of 62 officers and 1357 sailors. It’s Headquarters at Kochchikade was commissioned ‘HMS Gemunu’.
The Trincomalee naval area was under the Naval Officer-in-charge of Trincomalee, NOIC (T) while the Colombo naval area under the command of the Captain-in-Charge, Ceylon. Some officers and sailors were sent to Indian Navy ships and Royal Indian Navy Anti-Submarine School for advance training.
During the war, CRNVR operated a flotilla of ships meant to sweep and guard the approach to the harbour, but were often used on extended missions outside Ceylon waters.
In the course of these operations, the ships came under enemy fire, recovered essential information from imperial Japanese aircraft that were shot down, sailed to Akyab after the Burma front was opened, in FMV’s for habour duties, and were called upon to accept the surrender of an Italian ship ‘Eritria’ and escort her to the Colombo port with crew on board.
As the war came to an end, command and finances of CRNVR was returned to the Government of Ceylon on April 1, 1946 and it retained the name Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Naval Reserve (CRNVR).
In 1950, the Navy Act, No 34of 1950 was passed by the Parliament of Ceylon replacing the Naval Volunteer Ordinance, No.1 of 1937.
Several officers and sailors were transferred to regular force forming its nucleus, while 12 officers and 121 men, who were not on active service formed the core of the Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force (RCYVNF).
The Association of the CRNVR was started in 1946 by Captain Beauchamp, Commanding Officer of the CRNVR to keep alive the link between personnel who have served in the WW II.
The Association remained in being for years as the oldest member of the Ceylon Ex-Servicemen’s Association (CESA), now SLESA which itself, had also being formed on the same date. In the 1951-1971 period CRNVR Association officers namely Captain Beauchamp, Commander E. F. N. Gratian, Commander E. L. Matthysz and Captain W. Molegoda - had provided leadership to the CESA.
The Army was not represented as one single unit but many Regimental Associations were also members of CESA. Royal Ceylon Navy (RCYN) was not represented as a single unit save by the CRNVR Association.
In 1972, CESA was incorporated as SLESA and even then, RCYN / SLN was not represented and the CRNVR Association – the oldest member of the SLESA was the sole flag-bearer of the white ensign.
The Sri Lanka Navy realised in the 1980’s and the Sri Lanka Naval Association (SLNA) was formed. In 1996, then President of SLNA Lieutenant Commander S Devendra who saw that with the dwindling numbers of membership, the CRNVR Association was dying on its feet, fate unbecoming of the oldest Association of SLESA.
He was anxious that the CRNVR Association should be kept alive and took the initiative with then Vice President of SLNA Captain Patrick Jayasinghe to enable a revision of the Constitution of CRNVR Association to admit post war naval volunteers of Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force and Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force to the Association.
The rationale behind this decision being that post war naval volunteers are the lineal descendants of the original Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF). Captain Jayasinghe was subsequently elected the first post war naval volunteer President of CRNVR Association in 2004.
The following have functioned as Presidents of CRNVR Association since its inception in 1946.
* Captain W. G. Beauchamp CBE, VRD 1946 - 1950
* Rear Admiral G. R. M. de Mel OBE 1951 - 1955
* Commander A. V. Frughneit OBE, VRD 1956 Commander K. M. Martinus MBE 1957 - 1962
* Captain W. Molegoda 1963
* Surg. Captain A. Balakrishnan 1964 - 1965
* Commander E. Matthysz 1966 - 1967
* Commander D. C. Ingleton 1968
* A. de S. G. Punchihewa 1969 - 1973
* Lieut. Commander N P S Wijewickrema 1974 - 1975
* Rear Admiral G. R. M de Mel 1976 - 1979
* Lieut. Commander P. N. L. Mendis 1980 - 1998
* L. V. Adihetty 1999 - 2003
* Captain W. P. J. S. Jayasinghe PSV 2004 - 2006
* Lieut. Commander S. Croos PSV 2006 (Feb- June)
* Commodore G. E. S. de Silva PSV 2006 -To date
Pioneers of the CRNVR Association are well-seasoned and the strong foundation that had been made for the Association by them was of highest order in morale, loyalty, and traditions.
Continuations of the Association was assured with the admission of the post war naval volunteers in 1996 and it is pleased that all members alike contribute efficiently and energetically to uphold traditions and the well-being of all members in the true spirit of volunteering.
The 75th anniversary of the association will be held on November 19, 2022 under the patronage of the Commander of the Navy as the Chief Guest at the Sri Lanka Ex-Servicemen’s Institute.
About the writer: Commodore G. E. S. de Silva PSV, FCMA, FCFA, FCMI
Current President of CRNVR Association
A former Secretary General of the Ex-Servicemen’s Association
A former Finance Director of Van Rees Ceylon Ltd