8th Battalion the Gemunu Watch

The Battalion was raised initially as a Reinforcement Battalion in Point Pedru of the Jaffna Peninsula on 1st. January 1997. The nucleus of the Battalion was formed with Officers and Other Ranks of other Regular Battalions of the Gemunu Watch maintaining the rich traditions of the Highlanders. At its inception the Battalion was commanded by Lieut. Colonel. W.B.L. Fernando.

8 GW was committed to eradicate Tamil Terrorism from areas dominated by the militants and as such extensively deployed in the North and East. In addition to combat deployment, the Battalion has also been involved in the restoration of normalcy in areas affected by natural disasters and national calamities.

To conform to the re-structuring undertaken by the Army, the 4th. and 8th. Battalions were amalgamated on 12th. June 2000 and re-named as

4 / 12 Battalion of the Gemunu Watch. Two years later, the 4th. and 12th. Battalions commenced operating independently once more. Thereafter, since 17th. November 2005 to date, the Battalion was re-named the 8th. Battalion of the Gemunu Watch. 

The Battalion was engaged in combat operational duties since the commencement of Eelam War IV in 2005 until the final victory over the LTTE and its ignominious defeat at the Nandikadal Lagoon in May 2009.

Thereafter, the Battalion has been involved in the rehabilitation and resettlement programmes of the Sri Lanka Government including post conflict development initiatives undertaken in the war torn areas of Sri Lanka.

11 Officers and 159 Other Ranks have sacrificed their lives for their Motherland

06 Officers and 208 Other Ranks have been Wounded-in-Action. 

The list of Commanding Officers of the Battalion from the inception are as follows.

Former Commanding Officers: