Sepala Attygalle

With the outbreak of World War II in 1940, Attygalle left his studies at the university college to join the Ceylon Defense Force with its wartime expansion and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Ceylon Light Infantry on 15 November 1940. He underwent basic officer training at Diyatalawa, where he took the sword of honour at the army passing out parade in 1941 and thereafter underwent advanced training in India. By the time he was demobilized 9 March 1946, he had reached the rank of Captain and had been the Defence Services 100 metre Champion until 1944.[2]

After the war, joined the government service as the Assistant Controller of Textiles and thereafter served as the Assistant Controller of Exports and Imports.[2]

With the formation of the new Ceylon Army in 1949 following the passing of the Army Act; he joined and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 1 Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry as a regular officer, promoted to the rank of captain on the same day, he was then assigned as the General Staff Officer - Grade 3 (GSO3) at the Army Headquarters, Ceylon. On 27 July 1950 he was appointed as Extra Aide-de-camp (ADC) to Lord Soulbury, the Governor General of Ceylon, succeeding Major Bevis Bawa. He was promoted to rank of major on 1 January 1952 and was appointed GSO2, Army Headquarters in February.[3]

From May to July 1952, he attended the Company Commanders' Course at the School of Infantry, Warminster and the Land/Air Warfare Course at the School of Land/Air Warfare from October to November 1952. Thereafter he was attached to the 1st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, in Germany; serving with the NATO Forces in Europe. On his return he resumed his post as GSO2, Army Headquarters.[3]

In January 1953, he relinquished his staff appointment at the army headquarters and left for the United Kingdom to attend the Staff College, Camberley. On 2 June 1953, he was appointed Equerry to HM Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation. On completing the staff college course, he was seconded to the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. During this time he served as a military liaison officer (military attaché) to the High Commissioner for Ceylon in the United Kingdom. On his return to he took part in the formation of the "D" Company, 1st Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry of which was appointed officer commanding.[3]

In 1955, Major D.S. Attygalle was tasked with raising a reconnaissance unit and on 10 October 1955, he formed the 1st Reconnaissance (Recce) Squadron as the Cavalry Arm in the Ceylon Army in the lines of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, with himself as officer commanding. On 17 December 1955 a Combined Services Buddhist Mission led by Major Attygalle left for Burma on board HMCyS Vijaya, to represent the Armed Forces of Ceylon at the Buddha Jayanthi commemoration celebrations, and present a gift of a Bodhi tree sapling. On 25 December 1955, he was appointed Officer Commanding Troops, Echelon Barracks, and served till 9 August 1956. On 1 October 1958, he was promoted to the rank lieutenant colonel and appointed the first commanding officer of the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment, with the expansion of the recce squadron to a full regiment. The 1st Reconnaissance Regiment became the core of the Ceylon Armoured Corps. He attended a training with the Royal Armoured Corps from March to April 1959. Held the post of the commanding officer, 1st Reconnaissance Regiment until March 1964.[4][3]

On 1 December 1962, he was promoted to the rank of colonel; he took up appointment as Commander, Army Force Panagoda, whilst serving as commanding officer, Ceylon Armoured Corps. In June 1963, he went on an official visit to Yugoslavia, where he underwent a guerilla warfare training course. Having relinquished his post of Commander, Army Force Panagoda on 13 August 1963, he was appointed Commander, Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration on 14 August 1963, later he also served as the Inspector of Training, Army Headquarters. He was then appointed Chief of Staff of the army on 21 March 1964. He relinquished command of the Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration on 30 June 1965 and in 1966 he attended the Imperial Defence College. On his return he resumed duties as Chief of Staff.[3]

He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier on 22 September 1967 and appointed as Acting Commander of the Army after the retirement of Major General B.R. Heyn. On 1 October 1967, Attygalle was promoted to the rank of Major General and confirmed as Commander of the Army. Under his leadership, the army crushed the 1971 Insurrection within two months, and he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on 4 April 1974, thus being the first officer of the Sri Lanka Army to hold this rank. When he retired on 13 October 1977, after having served for ten years as commander, he was promoted to the rank of general, thus becoming the first Sri Lankan army officer to hold the rank of a four-star general and longest-serving Commander of the Army.[3]

In the early 1980s, with the escalation of the Tamil Militancy, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence on 15 August 1983 succeeding Colonel C. A. Dharmapala, and serving as National Defence Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka. He played a major role during the Vadamarachchi Operation which was stopped midway by Indian intervention. During this time he was the founding Chairman, Air Ports and Aviation Services and Chairman of Air Lanka. He step down as Secretary, Ministry of Defence on 16 February 1990 and was succeeded by General Cyril Ranatunga.[3]

Following his tenure as Secretary of Defence, he was appointed as High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom in March 1990 and served till August 1993 when he was succeeded by General Cyril Ranatunga.[3]

He died on 15 January 2001 in Colombo following a brief illness and his military funeral took place at the General Cemetery, Borella on 17 January.[3]

• Attygalle was promoted to the rank of general upon his retirement in 1977.
• He was awarded the title Deshamanya by the President Sri Lanka in 1990.
• He was a made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, which was later upgraded to Lieutenant.
• Doctor of Literature (honorary) by the University of Sri Lanka.