Header Sinhala

ආරක්ෂක සේනා මූලස්ථානය (වන්නි)

54 සේනාංකය

Present location of the 54 Infantry Division was established as a Military Camp in 1951 as “Senansha Headquarters” at the Thallady, with the intention of curbing illegal trafficking of human and goods from India to Sri lanka via Mannar Island. The first comd of Thallady camp was Lt Col M A Jayaweera. In 1965 the camp renamed as a coordinating HQ. With the expansion of the Army and to face the LTTE threat, the Army was further expanded and rename as 5th Brigade in 1990 and later it was renamed as 212 Brigade. Further, in the year 2000 this camp was re designated as Area Headquarters Mannar and, on 10 September 2010 Area HQ Mannar re-designated as 54 Infantry Division. On the other hand, in the year 1997, Task Force - 2 redesigned as 54 Division at Elephant pass and temporary suppresses on 24 April 2000, due to heavy losses suffered during elephant pass battle and subsequent withdrawal in year 2000, temporary suppressed 54 Infantry Division re-designated as 57 Infantry Division on 04 February 2007 when Army restructured its organization for the Humanitarian Operation. The suppressed 54 Infantry Division to form the 57 Infantry Division re-established on 10 September 2010, since the beginning of military garrison in Thalladi. This Headquarters has been functioning under 72 Commanders and this place was an Operational HQ for many Ops during the LTTE war. The under mention senior officers were command this headquarter up to the year 2010:

Senansha Headquarters

Lt Col M A Jayaweera
Lt Col J F Halangoda
Lt Col L H D Silva
Lt Col M A Jayaweera 1951 to 1956
Lt Col J F Halangoda
Lt Col L H D Silva

Operational Headquarters and Coordination Centre

Lt Col C T Kaldera 1965.07.01 1968.04.04
Lt Col A E D Chapmen 1968.04.05 1969.08.15
Lt Col B K V J Rodrigo 1969.10.01 1970.07.15
Lt Col S D N Hapugala 1970.07.16 1972.09.01
Lt Col J P Balthasar 1972.09.02 1973.02.01
Lt Col P D Fernando 1973.02.02 1976.02.28
Lt Col L P P Fernando 1976.03.01 1977.01.01
Lt Col A J N Selwadorei 1977.01.02 1977.10.30
Lt Col P D Fernando 1977.10.31 1977.12.31
Lt Col S A B Dias 1978.01.01 1978.10.17
Lt Col W K Nanayakkara 1978.10.18 1979.05.01
Lt Col S A B Dias 1979.05.02 1980.01.01
Lt Col S P De Silva 1980.01.02 1980.08.24
Maj P M De Silva 1980.08.25 1981.07.15
Lt Col J A S Rathnasabapathi 1981.07.16 1981.12.15
Lt Col K M S Perera 1981.12.16 1982.11.01
Lt Col R De S Daluwaththa 1982.11.02 1983.09.15
Lt Col H A Rupasinghe 1983.19.16 1984.01.15
Maj B J Marks 1984.04.18 1984.12.05
Maj T G Thilakarathne 1984.12.06 1985.04.04
Lt Col F X Fernando 1985.04.05 1985.06.13
Lt Col D Wijesekera 1985.06.14 1986.06.02
Lt Col P A Karunathilaka 1986.06.03 1987.01.15
Lt Col H N W Dias 1987.01.16 1987.03.16
Lt Col C S Weerasooriya 1987.03.17 1988.08.20
Lt Col S Peris 1988.08.21 1988.08.31
Lt Col T P Thilakarathne 1988.09.01 1989.05.11
Lt Col G Angammana 1989.05.12 1990.07.28

5 Brigade

Brig A S Piris 1990.07.29 1991.02.04
Brig C S Weerasooriya 1991.02.05 1991.10.26
Brig W R Wijayarathne 1991.10.27 1992.05.08
Brig H S A Perera 1992.05.09 1993.01.02
Brig P A Karunathilake 1993.01.03 1993.08.03
Brig W M P Fernando 1993.08.04 1993.12.25
Col G W B Jayasundara RSP 1993.12.26 1994.04.01
Brig S H S Kottegoda RSP 1994.04.02 1994.12.29
Brig S D Thennakoon RSP 1994.12.30 1996.10.27
Col W G K Ariyarathne RSP 1996.10.28 1997.06.05

212 Brigade

Brig W G K Ariyarathne RSP 1997.06.06 1997.12.01
Brig G W B Jayasundara RSP 1997.12.02 1998.07.18
Brig T T R De Silva RWP RSP USP psc 1998.07.19 1999.07.28
Col R M Jayasinghe USP psc 1999.07.29 2000.01.13
Brig R W W M H N Halangoda RWP RSP USP USACGSC 2000.01.14 2000.04.29

Area Headquarter Mannar

Brig R W W M H N Halangoda RWP RSP USP USACGSC 2000.04.30 2000.07.10
Brig K C J Jayarathne RSP 2000.07.11 2002.07.07
Brig G A Chandrasiri RWP USP psc 2002.07.08 2002.11.03
Brig K S Fernando RWP RSP USP LDMC 2002.11.02 2005.05.05
Brig S M De A Rajapaksha RWP RSP LDMC 2005.05.06 2005.12.10
Maj Gen D U Munasinghe RWP RSP USP ndc 2005.12.10 2007.05.29
Brig H C P Gunathilaka RSP USP psc 2007.05.29 2008.12.19
Col G V Ravipriya IG 2008.12.19 2009.02.07
Col T J Nanayakkara RWP 2009.02.14 2009.07.28
Col T J Nanayakkara RWP 2009.07.29 2010.02.28
Brig MAM Dias RWP RSP USP psc 2010.03.01 2010.09.09

54 Infantry Division was raised on 10 September 2010 and Major General Maithree Dias RWP RSP USP psc was the first General Officer Commanding of the newly raised Division. Following senior officers have commanded the Division as at today.

Maj Gen MAM Dias RWP RSP USP psc 10 Sep 2010 01 Jan 2014
Maj Gen KMU Wijerathne USP ndu 02 Jan 2014 13 Jan 2016
Maj Gen WBDP Fernando RWP RSP USP psc 21 Jan 2016 19 Sep 2016
Brig TJ Nanayakkara RWP USP ndu 19 Sep 2016 30 Dec 2016
Brig HJ Seneviratne RWP RSP ndu 02 Jan 2017 10 Aug 2017
Maj Gen GJAW Galagamage 10 Aug 2017 12 June 2018
Maj Gen WGHAS Bandara RWP RSPndu 06 July 2018 01 July 2019
Brig AAIJ Bandara RWP RSP USP ndu 01 July 2019 20 Dec 2019
Maj Gen DSD Welikala WWV RWP RSP USP 20 Dec 2019 01 May 2020
Maj Gen A A I J Bandara RWP RSP USP ndu 01 May 2020 25 July 2021
Maj Gen U D Wijesekara RWP RSP USP rcds psc 25 July 2021 13 Dec 2022
Maj Gen W W H R R V M N D K B Niyangoda RWP RSP VSV USP ndu psc 30 Dec 2022 26 June 2023
Maj Gen G W A Senevirathne USP psc 27 Jun 2023 15 Nov 2023
Maj Gen K M P S B Kulathunga RSP ndc psc 16 Oct 2023 22 May 2024
Maj Gen M T I Mahalekam WWV RWP RSP USP ndu psc 25 May 2024 15 July 2024
Maj Gen R P A R P Rajapaksa RSP 16 July 2024 up to date

54 Infantry Division consist with 3 Inf Bdes and Each Bde has 2 Bns and out of them 4 Bns are Regular and 2 Bns are Volunteer.

541 Inf Bde

  • Location – Kalliadi
  • Under Command Battalions
  • 10 (V) GW - Sirinathakulam
  • 5 (V) MIR - Mulankavil

542 Inf Bde

  • Location – Manthottam
  • Under Command Battalions
  • 4 GR - Madhu
  • 8 VIR - Jeewanagar

543 Inf Bde

  • Location – Pesalei
  • Under Command Battalions
  • 11 SLA - Selwari
  • 4 VIR - Southbar

Maj Gen R P A R P RAJAPAKSA RSP
GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING
54 INFANTRY DIVISION