Rajan Kadiragamar


Rajanathan "Rajan" Kadiragamar, MVO, ADC, RCyN was Sri Lankan Admiral. He was the second Ceylonese Captain of the Royal Ceylon Navy from 1960 to 1970 and as such the longest serving Commander of the Navy.

Early life

Kadirgamar came from a Tamil Protestant Vellala family with deep roots in Jaffna. His father was Samuel J.C.Kadirgamar Sr, JP, UM a Proctor, who was the President of the Colombo Proctor's Association and the founder President of the Law Society of Ceylon. His older brother S.J.C.Kadirgamar Jr., QC was a lawyer in commercial law, and his youngest brother was Lakshman Kadirgamar, PC former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Kadirgamar was educated at Royal College, Colombo, where he was the senior sergeant of the cadet contingent and played rugby in the annual Bradby Shield Encounter.

Naval career

Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force

With the outbreak of World War II, Kadirgamar joined the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force as a cadet officer. After completing his officer training he graduated, winning the Sword of Honour at the passing out parade at Trincomalee, in 1941. He was thereafter commissioned as a probationary Sub Lieutenant in the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 1 January 1942 and was attached to the Royal Navy for the duration of the war. During this time he served on board ships of the Eastern Fleet and saw action off the cost of Burma. Following the general demobilization at the end of the war Kadirgamar, who was now a lieutenant, remained in the CRNVR and in 1946 led the CRNVR's contingent in the victory parade in London. In 1949 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander.

Royal Ceylon Navy

With the formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950 he was commissioned as a regular officer with the rank of lieutenant commander. In 1951 he was made the commanding officer of HMCyS Vijaya the first ship of the new navy. Taking successive commands at sea and in shore establishments of the now growing navy, he was promoted to the ranks of commander in 1955 and captain in 1959, by which time he was Chief of Staff of the Navy.

Captain of the Navy

In 1960 he was made acting Captain of the Navy with promotion to the rank of temporary commodore, when Rear Admiral Royce de Mel was relieved of command following an inquiry into officers smuggling contraband. When a coup d'état was attempted in 1962, which included de Mel, Kadirgamar was targeted by the coup and was planned to be held under house arrest. The coup failed and its leaders arrested shortly. Even though his brother was a defense counsel for the coup leaders in the long trial that followed, Kadirgamar remained head of the navy, when other service commanders were quickly changed. In 1964 his appointment was confirmed and he served as Captain of the Navy until his retirement in 1970 with the rank of rear admiral. Even though funding was cut and recruitment halted in the navy by the government, he established the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee. He was a working director at Port Cargo Corporation and played a major role in establishing the Ceylon Shipping Corporation.
Kadirgamar was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order for service to HM Queen Elizabeth II and had been awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Burma Star for war service from 1939–1945. For service in the Royal Ceylon Navy he received the service medals Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. He had also served as extra aide-de-camp to three Governor-Generals. He also served as President of the Swimming Union.