Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps

The Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (SLAWC) is a Sri Lanka Army corps. The headquarters of this corps is in Borella, Colombo and the corps has six battalions. The first battalion was raised in 1 September 1979.[1]

Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps
Cap badge of the SLAWC
FoundedSeptember 1, 1979 (1979-09-01)[1]
Country Sri Lanka
Branch Sri Lanka Army
TypeAdministrative corps
RoleCombat support, Combat service support
Size6 battalions
Regimental CentreBorella, Colombo
Nickname(s)SLAWC
Motto(s)Savi Bala Sith - Avi Bala Deth (Translation from Sinhala: The Powerful Mind is the Strongest Weapon)
Anniversaries1 September,[1] 17 November[2]
EngagementsSri Lankan Civil War
Insignia
Flag

The regimental insignia of this corps is Viharamahadevi in a boat surrounded by gold colour sea and a vignette. Every year, in 17th November the corps anniversary day is celebrated as in 1997's 17 November the regimental headquarters was created in Borella, Colombo.[2][3]

Overview

The corps was set up with the assistance of the Women's Royal Army Corps of the British Army. It was identical in structure to its parent organization, and its first generation of lady officer cadets was trained in Britain. Candidates were required to be between eighteen and twenty years old and to have passed the General Common Entrance (Ordinary level) examinations, while the officer candidates must have passed the Advanced Level. Enlistment entailed a five-year service commitment (the same as for men), and recruits were not allowed to marry during this period. In the training course at the Army Training Center at Diyatalawa, recruits were put through a program of drill and physical training similar to the men's program, with the exception of weapons and battle craft training. Female soldiers were paid according to the same scale as the men, but were primarily limited to service in nursing, communications and clerical works.

One officer, three nurses and four other soldiers participated in the Vadamarachchi operation, which lasted from 27 May 1987 to 11 June 1988. This was the first time that the women in the Sri Lanka Army participated in combat operations.[1][4] Over 25 female soldiers were killed in action in 1997.[5]

Women have been transferred to the Sri Lanka Signals Corps, Military Intelligence Corps, Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps, Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police, Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps, Corps of Engineer Services, Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps and Sri Lanka Army Service Corps.[6]

Units

Regular battalions
  • 1st Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 1 September 1979)
  • 7th Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 1 August 2010 at Myliddy, Jaffna)

Volunteer battalions
  • 2nd(v) Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 1 January 1996)
  • 3rd(v) Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 15 November 1997)
  • 4th(v) Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 10 February 1999)
  • 5th(v) Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 10 February 1999)
  • 6th(v) Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps (formed on 10 April 2009 and disbanded on 6 July 2018)[7]

Notable members

References
  1. "THE 1ST BATTALION OF SRI LANKA ARMY WOMEN'S CORPS CELEBRATED ITS 43RD ANNIVERSARY". army.lk/slawc. 1 September 2022.
  2. "SRI LANKA ARMY WOMEN'S CORPS COMMEMORATE ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY". army.lk/slawc. 17 November 2022.
  3. "History of the Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps Regiment". army.lk/slawc.
  4. "Lankan women choosing the army over marriage". Rediff.com. 1997.
  5. "War Heroines". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. "SLAWC Women on the Frontlines". defence.lk. 8 March 2022.
  7. "Volunteer battalions". army.lk/slawc.
  8. "Nadeeka LAKMALI". Olympics.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.

Further reading
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