Ceylon and the SOE
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) resulted from bringing together the UK’s three secret services for the duration of the War in order to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. Ceylon was initially a base for SOE personnel operating in South East Asia with headquarters in Kandy and a training facility at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. Operatives were inserted into Japanese occupied South East Asia via submarine.
When SEAC moved from Delhi to Kandy so did SOE Force 136 under Head of Mission Colin Mackenzie CMG. According to Ashley Jackson, writing in The British Empire and the Second World War, “Ceylon had been transformed strategically from a relative backwater, a mere operations sub-branch of the India Mission, into Force 136’s main base.”
Capt Freddie Chapman had trained Australian and New Zealand troops in guerrilla warfare at the Special Training School 101 in Singapore. They would remain in Malaya during Japanese occupation to harass the enemy as part of Force 136. Capt Chapman had already forged an alliance with the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) composed of anti-Japanese Chinese. They were armed by the British and instructed to take to the jungles in order to continue the war against the Japanese. The MCP led by the legendry Chin Peng was highly disciplined and were fed, supported and given shelter by local Chinese.
In early 1945 Capt Chapman was brought out to Kandy to arrange for weapons and equipment for his guerrilla fighters about half being Britons who had worked or lived in Malaya before the war, the rest Chinese. “Air supplies from Ceylon supported the 3,500 Malayans trained to harass the Japanese when the British mounted their amphibious assault late in the war. Liberators of No. 357 Squadron from Minneriya in Ceylon, for example, flew 249 sorties in June and July 1945 in support of forces in Malaya,” explains Prof Jackson.
In late 1944 Gen Roger Blaizot commander of the Forces Francaises Extrême Orient (the Far East French Expeditionary Forces) arrived in Ceylon along with French troops to establish a Free French Military Mission to the Far East. Gen Blaizot and his troops were inserted into French Indochina where they operated till the end of the War. According to Jackson “Ceylon also became an important (signals) intelligence-gathering outpost of Bletchley Park (the future Government Communications Headquarters [GCHQ]) and a regional headquarters for Special Operations Executive.”
In Operation Bunkum launched from Ceylon, agents were ferried by submarine to the Andaman Islands to report back on Japanese forces, a clandestine mission which they carried out successfully maintaining radio contact with Calcutta. In another operation, a group of Thais living in the UK volunteered for a mission for which they boarded the submarine HMS Tactician to be dropped off on the Thai coast. Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) also trained Thai agents at SEAC who were ferried by HMS Tactician to carry out assaults in Phuket and Penang.
In collaboration with the Dutch and operating out of bases in Ceylon, RAF Liberators parachuted agents into Sumatra. And the US Office of Strategic Services (the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency) also operated out of Ceylon with headquarters in Kandy, training camps in Galle and Trincomalee and a supply depot in Colombo. “RAF Special Duties squadrons, usually flying long-range Liberators, were used to parachute agents and supplies into occupied territory, and most sorties were flown from Ceylon bases,” writes Jackson.
While combat experience in Ceylon was limited, the CDF benefited from training with British and Allied units rotated through Sri Lanka, especially for jungle warfare in South East Asia. Individual officers and soldiers of the CDF also had combat experience in other theaters.
In addition to service in the Cocos Islands, members of the CDF also volunteered for active duty in Burma. Writing in his Sunday Times article Forgotten campaign, forgotten veterans Sergei De Silva Ranasinghe says Brian Kirkenbeek was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant with the 2nd Battalion CLI in 1942. In January 1944 he was posted to D Company 4/5th Gurkha Rifles at Arakan where he saw action. On his return to Ceylon he was promoted and rejoined the CLI at China Bay. Ranasinghe goes on to say that some volunteered for service in Europe and experienced combat in that theater.
Three new units of the CDF were raised during the War, the Ceylon Signal Corp and the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1943, and the Royal Military Police (Ceylon) in 1944. At the end of the war the CDF which comprised 645 officers and 14,247 other ranks was demobilized. Col R.J.F. Mendis OBE ED was appointed Commander of the CDF in April 1946 and Lt Col Anton M. Muttukumaru became commander of the CLI which reverted to its peacetime strength.
The British noted that the Ceylonese Board of Ministers did everything within their power to maximize the island’s contribution to the war effort. They channeled personnel and material resources in support of the war effort.
The only exception being the Lanka Sama Samaja Party which opposed the War and whose leaders were incarcerated or went underground for the duration of the War. However the civilian ministers wholeheartedly supported the war effort and there was total cooperation from the Island’s political, civil and military leadership.
In 1948 this political relationship resulted in Ceylon acquiring Dominion Status within months of India. Prof Ashley Jackson in The British Empire and the Second World War concludes that “this was a result of pressure from senior British military and civilian officials in Ceylon in favor of a significant advance towards full self-government.”
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British Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Keigan Baker – Panama City, FL; US Air Force, Airman 1st Class, 24th Special Operations Wing, KIA
Michael Canonico – Chester, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Co. A/188/11th Airborne Division
Fletcher Derrick – Mt. Pleasant, SC; US Army, Medical Corps, 8th Artillery Div., surgeon / Army Intelligence, Order of the Palmetto (Ret.)
Fred Goodson – Gastonia, NC; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 508/82nd A/B Division / USAR, Colonel (Ret. 39 y.)
Nancy Hookham – Eastbourne, ENG; British Navy WREN; WWII, Bletchley Park
Jesse Irvin (99) – Coushatta, LA; US Army, WWII
Harold Little – Watertown, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII
Elsie McCurry – Texarkana, AR; Civilian, aircraft manufacture and repair
Carolyn J. Protzmann – Franklin, NH; US Air Force / US National Guard, BGeneral (Ret.)
Clarence Rutherford – Augusta, KS; US Army Air Corps, CBI, WWII
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Posted on March 26, 2020, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 1940's, CBI, Ceylon, History, Intelligence, Military, Military History, nostalgia, Pacific War, SOE, UK, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 98 Comments.
Interesting GP. I think I may have mentioned before my service in 121 Signal Squadron R.A. Sigs, a signals intelligence unit, from 1972 to 1974. We had GCHQ civilians coming and going. The squadron’s presence was disclosed (it had been there since 1953) by the new Australian Labor Prime Minister in February 1973 and we all left a year later (after the dust settled). Most of the online information about 121 has been scrubbed, but the full story is on parliament records (Hansard).
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Thank you for bringing your story here. I’ll see what I can do.
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Just rereading my comment and I neglected to say of course that our unit was stationed in Singapore (Kranji).
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Thank you.
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I had fallen behind in reading, but all caught up now.
Stay safe.
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Thank you for taking the time.
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Your posts give a great insight into the behind the scenes clandestine activities, that formed part of the overall war strategy, great research mate.
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Thanks. We have data being released from the archives regularly, so there is always something out there for me to learn!! I so appreciate your visits, Ian!!!
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Interesting & fascinating read👌👌
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Thank you. Richard Duckett did an excellent job here, in my opinion.
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I love the technique which is used in war. I always enjoyed the read and movies based on war techniques secret services. The places you mentioned Andaman and Calcutta( Kolkata) I visited there!!
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Terrific! If you have any updated information on those areas, feel free to add them here!
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Sure, I will. I have not much authentic knowledge about these areas. I just watched almost movies based on true stories of wars. Wars are always bad but the Patriotism and the inspiration they have I love the most. It inspires everyone. 🙂
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I think you forgot to mention Richard’s name or forgive me if I miss it while reading🤔
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You don’t see Richard’s name until you scroll all the way to the bottom of his post.
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Okay, I will check it out! 👍 I am using WordPress on my mobile. There is some issue on my laptop and due to lockdown, unable to do something. Keep writing and be safe 👍🇮🇳🌹
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Thanks for the history lesson.
I got a kick out of the British Humor
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Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it!!
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Reblogged this on depolreablesunite.
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Thank you, Rick!
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Love the British military humor featured with this post!
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Thanks, Liz.
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Once I got to the mention of the Andaman Islands, I knew where I was. Some cruising friends were anchored off Phuket when the tsunami hit, and I learned a lot about the geography of the area in a hurry. Eventually, they traveled westward across the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, ending up in Port Said. We thought they were crazy, but he’d been a pilot for a certain U.S. intelligence agency during Vietnam, so he did crazy pretty well.
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I believe it, Linda! 🙂 That war produced a lot of crazies, like the helicopter pilots!
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I am always fascinated by the operations that took place behind enemy lines, G and the constant vigilance that must have been required. On another note, loved the cartoon tap on the phone. My kind of humor. –Curt
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I try to keep a balance between the war and the humor that helped to hold the men together.
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It is interesting watch the same thing happening now, G, with the humor gathering around coronavirus. Beyond acting in whatever way we can to bring the virus under control and bring the nation together, humor is one of the best things we have going for us. –Curt
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I just sent out an email to a few friends about the virus, hoping to keep people smilin’!!
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So important!
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Excellent and very informative article, G. P. Those robust men and women of the secret services deserve recognition, even if late, but isn’t that the nature of secret service? Several notables served in the secret services during World War II that hardly anyone knows about: movie stars Sterling Hayden and Pierre J. Ortiz (both very gutsy fellows), college president William A. Eddy, college professor Gerald C. Thomas, the US president’s son, James Roosevelt, and the future commander of the 7th Marine Regiment at the Chosin Reservoir, Homer C. Litzenberg. My guess is that there are dozens of yet-undiscovered stories of courage behind the scenes and I look forward to reading them here at this most-excellent blog. Semper Fi …
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I have the book, “Covert Affair” about Julia Child (TV chef) and her future husband over there in the CBI. There were quite a few, like Ian Fleming (author).
I’m happy you liked it!
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The British did get up to a lot, didn’t they? Ironically, only as few years after the end of the war they may well have been fighting the Malayan Communist Party’s insurgents. There were guerrilla wars against Communists in both Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak. In the latter location, they used the SAS who soon defeated them.
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Thank you for that added information, John!
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Mount Lavinia Hotel? 🙂 Another educational post, GP! I think I might have been able to jump out of a plane, but not be able to go in by submarine. – tight quarters and underwater. Those people are a special lot.
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haha, I’ll bet you wondered where your name came from, eh? Just kidding. I know what you mean about being in a sub!!
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The name goes back to ancient Roman times, and is more common in the U.K than here. My ancestry is mostly from there and my name crept into the family that way. I am the pterodactyl of Lavinias in my line, as far as I know. It goes extinct with me. 🙂
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That’s a shame, it’s such a beautiful name.
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I am happy with it, but many people can’t spell it or pronounce it. 🙂
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😕
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When I read about that hotel, you were the first person I thought of, Lavinia!
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Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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Thank you, John!
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You are welcome.
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Reblogged this on Dave Loves History.
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Thank you, Dave!
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My Dad spent some time in Ceylon on his way home from India in 1947. He spoke about the beauty of the island, and how much he would love to have lived there.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you for telling us, Pete!
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So interesting, thank you!
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I appreciate your visit, June!
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A very interesting post which I did not know anything about Ceylon. It needs a special kind of skill to be in intelligence service. Thanks for posting our friend, Fletcher Derrick, in your Farewell Salute. He gave a talk to our group about his experience as a spy. Quite fascinating! Matt’s brother, I always wonder if he was a spy. Never admitted it but some of his stories added up. He was stationed in Africa for 25 years working for Ford Foundation. I think it was a cover. He knew a lot of those African chieftains in the bush and big names in Washington, DC, reported to Washington every summer for something, was able to get a plane to rescue some Somalians in cloak and dagger operation during the Mogadishu uprising. Things like that. My brother told me Bobby told him so but Matt does not believe it.
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I think you’re right, Rose. Saving some Somalians doesn’t exactly sound like Ford Foundation work!
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Truly. Securing a plane to transport people in the middle of the night? Incredible! Stay safe.
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Thanks for all this I din’t know about.
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Not many did, Derrick. I thank you for reading about it today!!
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Insert via submarine
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Read with interest, GP. The Germans tried to insert agents into the USA in WWII, on Long Island. They were captured, at least the ones we discovered.
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You’re quite right. A long time ago I had a post on that.
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I cannot imagine the courage of someone being sent from a submarine or jumping out of a plane into occupied enemy territory. Amazing people, GP. Thanks.
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Yes they were. I hope they realized how many of us appreciated their work.
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I hope they do.
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Good to see that for once co operation was rewarded at the end of the war, Ceylon achieving Dominion status. Leo was in Sri Lanka just after the civil war and was apalled at the treatment handed out to the Tamils – a blot on a beautiful country.
The military humour made me laugh!
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Every nation has blots on their history – we are after all, typically human!
Glad I got a smile from you today, Helen!!
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Certainly did!
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Another interesting historical tidbit, GP. Thank you.
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I appreciate your visit, Jacqui!!
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Thank you for this – I didn’t know this story. I appreciate the way you weave all the threads of the war together.
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The Pacific War was so large, I know I’ve glazed over quite a bit. (and this blog has gone on longer than the war did! lol)
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fascinating!
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Thanks!
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Interesting! I always enjoy reading about “secret squirrel” kinds of stuff!
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It makes me wonder wonder how much “secret squirrel” stuff goes on today! 🤔
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This is fascinating information. It really brings home the meaning of “world war” as there were so many countries involved that I had never heard of, and so many types of operations. Thanks again for the research and delightful presentation. You beat every history teacher I ever had. I feel like I should leave an apple on your desk.
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Thanks, Dan. It’s funny, but back in my school days, I never once considered myself teacher material.
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You make it so interesting, you really do.
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That means a lot coming from you, Dan. Thank you very much!
With the continued train of thought for keeping this quarantine on the light side….. try this – I’m not the only one….
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Thanks for the tip.
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👍
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Great article, GP. It’s impressive what a determined people can do in times of crisis. Would you believe that the US Senate actually unanimously passed a bill? I learned a tremendous amount from reading this.
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Thank you for telling me that you learned from the article. That way I can tell what needs to be reviewed.
People have agreed on both sides of the aisle that Congress has not done a lick of work in years – I think they all figured they’d best do something during a crisis or they’d be out of work themselves come next election!! 😁
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Very interesting post again, GP! I think sometimes i have to see the region with my own eyes, too. Thank you, and have a nice day! Michael
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You as well, my friend! Take care.
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Interesting information on a part of the war I knew nothing about. Strangely, I’d just been reading about Ceylon and the Bracegirdle Incident a couple of days ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Anthony_Bracegirdle
I got to it by looking up career details of a Naval Officer who played rugby against Eric Liddell (the Chariots of Fire runner and missionary in China), clicked on Harold Abrahams, then clicked on the links for other Abrahams brothers – one of them was involved in the Bracegirdle case.
From rugby to Ceylon via the INternet and now back again because of your writing. The internet is a wonderful place!
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Isn’t!! I’ve learned more than I ever could any other way. Information around the world in split seconds!! Who would have thought I’d live this long to see it?!
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Yes, it’s a wonderful thing. I thought “the future” was going to be about hovercars and robots when I was growing up in the 60s – never thought of the internet.
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Sci-fi at its best!
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My uncle served as pilot in the area. Sadly never got round to asking about the details.
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He probably wouldn’t want to talk about it – as so many of them were.
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Good stuff GP! Patriotism and organization are key. 💕☕️☕️
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That combination works even today! Thank you.
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We had better get workin’ fast!
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You said it !!
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💕☕️👍
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Really fascinating, thank you, Graeme. I visited Kandy, Galle and Trincomalee in about 2004. It is a stunningly beautiful country. I particularly loved Kandy in the heart of the country. At the time, there was a large UN military prescence in Trincomalee due to the civil war, which was a bit scary if I’m being honest. My great uncle served in Burma during the war. (I think I told you that before.) Hope you and yours are all well during this lockdown.
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Thank you for giving us an update on this area, David. There’s nothing like first-hand knowledge.
I’m getting a touch of “cabin fever”, but I know that’s because I HAVE to stay home! lol. Hope you are doing well.
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Thanks GP. I know what you mean about cabin fever! I’ve been doing a bit of painting to pass the time, but there’s still that yearning to be outdoors! Stay safe and well. All the best from blighty!
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Thank you, David.
Stay safe!
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Interesting GP.
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Thank you, Pierre.
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