112.134.217.155 at 16:39, 23 November 2022

2022-11-23T16:39:03Z

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{{More footnotes|date=February 2021}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix= [[Admiral (Sri Lanka)|Admiral]]
|name= W.W.E. Clancy Fernando{{KIA}}
|birth_name=Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1938|10|10|df=y}}
|death_date= {{Death date and age|1992|11|16|1938|10|10|df=y}}
|birth_place=
|death_place= [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka]]
|image= Admiral-Clancy-Fernando.jpg
|caption= Admiral Clancy Fernando
|nickname=
|allegiance= Sri Lanka
|serviceyears= 35 years
|rank=[[File:15-Sri Lanka Navy-ADM.svg|10px]] [[Admiral (Sri Lanka)|Admiral]]
|branch= {{navy|Sri Lanka}}
|commands=[[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy]]
|unit=
|battles= [[Sri Lankan Civil War]]
|awards= [[File:Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal bar.svg|23px]] [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya]]<br>[[File:Uttama Seva ribbon bar.svg|23px]] [[Uttama Seva Padakkama]]
|laterwork=
}}
'''[[Admiral (Sri Lanka)|Admiral]] Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando''' [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya|VSV]], [[Uttama Seva Padakkama|USP]], [[MSc]], [[National Defence College, India|ndc]], [[Psc (British Army)|psc]], [[Nautical Institute|MNI]], [[Sri Lanka Navy|SLN]] (In [[Sinhalese language|Sinhalese]]: ක්ලැන්සි ෆර්නැන්ඩෝ) (10 October 1938 – 16 November 1992{{KIA}}) was the [[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy]] from 1 November 1991 to 16 November 1992. He was assassinated by the [[LTTE]]<ref name="Janes">[http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/usscole/jir001020_1_n.shtml Suicide terrorism: a global threat, www.janes.com]</ref> in 1992, as the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan military to be killed in the line of duty.

==Education==
Admiral Fernando received his secondary education at [[Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa]]. He was a member of the team Western Band [[Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa]]. He held the memberships of the [[Chartered Management Institute|British Institute of Management]], and the [[Nautical Institute]] and had obtained a master's degree in defence studies. He had also been conferred with the certificate of Master Mariners and was the first President of Sri Lanka Branch of the [[Nautical Institute]].

==Naval career==
After completing his schooling he enlisted as a [[cadet officer]] in the [[Royal Ceylon Navy]] in December 1957. After completing basic training, he proceeded for training at [[Britannia Royal Naval College]] in [[Dartmouth, Devon|Dartmouth]], [[United Kingdom]]. On his return he served with the Royal Ceylon Navy in Trincomalee, Tangalle and Karainagar, serving on board HMCyS Aliya and [[SLNS Gajabahu|HMCyS Gajabahu]], the [[flagship]] of the fleet. He served as the commanding officer of HMCyS Diyakawa, SLNS Ranakamee and the SLNS Samudra Devi, which was the flagship of the fleet in 1980. During his service years, he introduced the [[Sinhalese language|Sinhala]] communication system into the navy and authored the book on ‘Customs and etiquettes of Services’. In 1977, he attended [[The Defense Services Staff College|Defence Services Staff College]], [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. Promoted to the rank of [[Commander]] in March 1978, he was the Commanding Officer of the SLNS Tissa and thereafter SLNS Elara, and served as the Master of the Ceylon Shipping Corporations MV Lanka Kanthi.

On 30 June 1983, he was appointed Director Naval Operations. Promoted the rank of [[Captain]] on 1 January 1984, he was appointed Commandant of the [[Naval and Maritime Academy]]. He was promoted to [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] in July 1986 and served as Commander Western Naval Area, Commander Eastern Naval Area, and Security Forces Commander, Trincomalee. In 1987, he attended the [[National Defence College, India|National Defence College]] in [[New Delhi]]. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of [[rear admiral]] and held the post of the [[Chief of Staff]] of the navy, shortly he was promoted to the rank of [[vice admiral]] on appointment to the office of the [[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy]] on 1 November 1991. After becoming navy commander he intensified naval operations against the [[LTTE]], effectively denying the terrorist free use of the sea.

==Assassination ==
He was assassinated by a [[LTTE]] [[suicide bomber]]<ref name="Janes"/> who drove an explosives laden motorbike into his [[staff car]] on the 16 November 1992 at 8.35 a.m, in front of the [[Galle Face Green]]. Killed in the bombing was [[Lieutenant]] (posthumously [[lieutenant-commander]]) Sandun Gunasekera, his [[flag lieutenant]] and his driver. He was on his way to naval headquarters at Flagstaff Street in the Galle Buck from his official residence "Navy House" at Longden Place, [[Colombo]] after he returned from India after discussing Indo-Sri Lankan naval cooperation.

==Honors==
He was posthumously promoted to [[Admiral]] and awarded the [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya]] and the [[Uttama Seva Padakkama]]. While in service he had received the [[Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal|Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp]], [[Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal]], [[Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal]] and [[Medal bar|Clasp]], [[Purna Bhumi Padakkama]], [[President's Inauguration Medal]] and the [[Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal]].

<div class="center">
[[File:Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Uttama Seva ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]

[[File:Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:President's Inauguration Medal.svg|110px]]
[[File:Purna Bhumi Padakkama ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
</div>

==Family==
He was married to Monica Fernando and they had two sons Nishan and Dinukh..<ref>{{cite news |title=A pioneering naval officer who inspired |url=https://www.pressreader.com/sri-lanka/sunday-times-sri-lanka/20151115/282333973800077 |access-date=8 February 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Sri Lanka Navy]]
*[[List of assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War]]
*[[List of attacks attributed to the LTTE]]
*[[Sri Lankan Civil War]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.admiralclancyfernando.org www.admiralclancyfernando.org]
*[http://www.navy.lk Sri Lanka Navy]
*[http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=40 Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando ndc, psc, VSV - Sri Lanka Navy]
*[http://sundaytimes.lk/021117/plus/2.html Glimpses of an admirable Admiral]
*[http://www.divaina.com/2008/11/16/feature01.html Admiral Clancy Fernando in Sinhala]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box | title=[[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy]]
| before=[[H. A. Silva]]
| after=[[D. A. M. R. Samarasekara]]| years=1991-1992 {{KIA}} }}
{{s-end}}

{{Commanders of the Sri Lankan Navy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernando, Clancy}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan admirals]]
[[Category:Assassinated military personnel]]
[[Category:Assassinated Sri Lankan people]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan military personnel killed in action]]
[[Category:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Sri Lanka in 1992]]
[[Category:Suicide bombings in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Navy (Sri Lanka)]]
[[Category:People killed during the Sri Lankan Civil War]]
[[Category:Alumni of Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa]]
[[Category:Sinhalese military personnel]]
[[Category:National Defence College, India alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Peace Keeping Force]]

Clancy Fernando - Revision history

112.134.217.155 at 16:39, 23 November 2022