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Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

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Main article: Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
Medal, obverse (right) and reverse (left)
TypeMedal
Awarded for"individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy"
Presented byPresident of Sri Lanka
EligibilityPersons of any rank in the Sri Lankan regular or volunteer forces of the Army, Navy and Air Forces
Post-nominalsPWV
StatusCurrently awarded
Established1981
First awarded1991
Last awarded2016
Total31
Total awarded posthumously31
(including awards to MIA personnel later declared KIA)
Total recipients31
Ribbon bar
Precedence
Next (higher)None (Highest)
Next (lower)Weerodara Vibhushanaya (Non-combat)
RelatedUththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama

The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) (Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya; Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest military decoration, awarded for acts of exceptional valour in wartime. Parama Weera Vibhushanaya translates as the "Order of the Supreme Valour", and the award is granted for "individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy". Corporal Gamini Kularatne, was the first recipient. As of January 2021, the medal has been awarded 31 times, of which all were posthumous and arose from actions in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Of the 31 awardees, 28 have been from the Sri Lanka Army, two have been from the Sri Lanka Navy and one has been from the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Ceylon used the British awards system and continued post-independence until 1956, when British imperial honours were suspended. New awards were instituted in 1981. PWV is equivalent to the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom, the Medal of Honor in the United States and Param Vir Chakra in India.

History

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From its formation the Ceylon Defence Force used British military decorations. The practice was continued after Ceylon gained independence in 1948 and the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950, and the Royal Ceylon Air Force in 1951. Following up on his election promise, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike suspended imperial honours. This meant only service medals such as the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, the Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon) and the Efficiency Medal (Ceylon) were awarded. No gallantry medals were award during the 1971 JVP Insurrection. In 1972, Ceylon became a republic as the Republic of Sri Lanka. On 1 September 1981, President J. R. Jayewardene instituted new Sri Lankan awards for gallantry the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV), Weerodara Vibhushanaya (WV), Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (WWV), Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWV), and the Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) by the Gazette Extraordinary No. 156/5 of 1982.

Authority and privileges

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As the highest award for valour in Sri Lanka, Parama Weera Vibhushanaya is always the first award to be presented at an awards ceremony by the President of Sri Lanka which includes the medal and a sanasa (award scroll). Recipients of the decoration can use the post-nominal letters "PWV" and it is always the first decoration worn in a row of medals and it is the first set of post-nominal letters used to indicate any decoration. Since all awards have been posthumous no tradition exists that require "all ranks to salute a bearer of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya", nor does it provide for any annuity or monitory benefits for the recipient or next of kin other than statuary pension or WNOP pension as with other similar awards such as the Victoria Cross.

Award process

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The medal can be awarded to all ranks of the tri services, to both regular and volunteer forces, in recognition of:

...individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of a non-military nature of the most exceptional order performed voluntarily with no regard to his own life and security with the objective of saving or safeguarding the life or lives of a person or personnel imperiled by death or for a meritorious act or a series of acts of a humane nature of an exceptional order displayed in saving life from drowning, fire and rescue operations in mines, floods and similar calamities under circumstances of grave bodily injury or great danger to the life of the rescuer...

— [1]

Field commanders report actions that fulfill the conditions for a PWV to their respective service commanders, who review these reports and, if satisfactory, forward an official recommendation to an awards board composed of officers from the three armed services branches for further review. The board's report is sent to the office of the President who, as commander in chief, has final authority on the award.

As of 2018, all recipients of this award were killed or missing in action- no living serviceperson has ever worn the medal or the ribbon bar, or used the post-nominal letters to date, effectively making the PWV an exclusively posthumous award.

Recipients

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Busts of recipients Name Rank** Unit Date of action Conflict Place of action Citations
Gamini Kularatne Corporal Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment 14 July 1991 First Battle of Elephant Pass Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Saliya Aladeniya Captain Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment 11 June 1990 Battle of Kokavil Kokavil, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. W. T. Nissanka Lieutenant Gajaba Regiment 14 November 1993 Battle of Pooneryn Pooneryn, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
W. I. M. Seneviratne Lance Corporal Sri Lanka Light Infantry 4 July 1996 Suicide bombing Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
A.F. Lafir Colonel Special Forces Regiment 19 July 1996 Battle of Mullaitivu (1996) Mullaitivu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Tyron Silvapulle Wing Commander Sri Lanka Air Force 17 December 1999 Sri Lankan Civil War Seas off Thamilamadam, Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Lalith Jayasinghe Lieutenant Colonel Special Forces Regiment 26 November 2008 LRRP action Oddusuddan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Jude Lakmal Wijethunge Lieutenant Commander Sri Lanka Navy 30 March 1996 Defending a Navy transport from a Sea Tiger attack Seas off Northern Province, Sri Lanka
G. S. Jayanath Major Commando Regiment 4 December 1997 Operation Jayasikurui Maankulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. A. Gamage Major Special Forces Regiment 20 April 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Ampalavanpokkanai, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Pasan Gunasekera Warrant Officer II Gajaba Regiment 29 November 1995 Operation Riviresa Jaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. G. Shantha Chief Petty Officer Sri Lanka Navy 1 November 2008 Battle against sea Tigers between Point Pedro and Nagar Kovil Seas off Point Pedro, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. Chandana Corporal Special Forces Regiment June 2008 LRRP action Northeast of Mankulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Sugath Chandrasiri Bandara Sergeant Special Forces Regiment 3 February 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Puthukkudiyiruppu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
H. G. S. Bandara Staff Sergeant Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment 17 May 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Nanthikadal, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
A. M. B. H. G. Abeyrathnebanda Lance Corporal Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment 29 January 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Visuamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka [2]
P.N. Suranga Sergeant Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment 14 August 2006 Battle of Jaffna (2006) Muhamalai-Nagarkovil defense line, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
A. M. N. P. Abesinghe Corporal Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment 25 June 2008 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Thunukkai, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
[T. G. D. R. Dayananda Lance-Corporal Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment 16 September 2008 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Kilinochchi-Akkarayankulam Road, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
P. M. Nilantha Pushpa Kumara Corporal Gemunu Watch 1 February 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Vishvamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
U. G. A. S. Samaranayake Captain Gemunu Watch 2 February 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive PTK Junction, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
H. G. M. H. I. Megawarna Captain Gemunu Watch 2 February 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive PTK Junction, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
R. M. D. M. Rathnayake Lance-Corporal Sri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment 11 May 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Nandikadal Lagoon, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
G. N. Punsiri Captain Gajaba Regiment 2 July 2007 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Uvarakkulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
H. A. Nilantha Kumar Corporal Commando Regiment 29 January 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Puthukuduiruppu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. G. D. Gunasekara Sergeant Commando Regiment 16 February 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Dara Point, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
W. T. Jayatillake Lieutenant Gemunu Watch 20 April 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Iranamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. G. N. Perera Staff Sergeant Commando Regiment 21 April 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Puthumatalan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
S. P. M. L. Pushpama Corporal Commando Regiment 21 April 2009 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive Puthumatalan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
W.M.I.S.B. Walisundara Major Gajaba Regiment 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive [3]
A.M. Anura Sergeant Sinha Regiment 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive [3]
K.G.M. Rajapaksha Lance Corporal Sinha Regiment 2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive [3]

References

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  1. ^ "Medals". Sri Lanka Army. army.lk. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  2. ^ "PWV Citation – S/198852 Rec Abeyrathnebanda A. M. B. H. G. 21 SLSR (Posthumous)" (PDF). The Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Acts of Bravery Rewarded with Gallantry Medals in Glittering Ceremony". Sri Lanka Army. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
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