The National Cadet Corps (Sri Lanka) is the Sri Lankan military cadet corps and is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the Sri Lanka. Formally the Ceylon Cadet Corps It is open to high school students on voluntary basis and has a history of more than 126 years as of 2007. The officers are teachers who act as instructors. The Cadets are given basic military training in small arms and parades.The officers and cadets have no liability for active military service but many volunteer to join the armed forces.
The Mission of the National Cadet Corps is to train and inspire cadets using effective training curriculum, so that each cadet shall develop character, courage, sportsmanship, self-reliance, discipline, and civil mindedness, spirit of adventure, responsibility and comradeship to be a human resource of well-trained youth, capable of providing leadership in all aspects of life.
1881 – Mr. John B. Cull, the then principal of Royal College, Colombo formed a cadet platoon as a Volunteer Unit under Ceylon Light Infantry for the students of the Royal College.
1902 – Introduction of Cadet Battalion under CLI (Ceylon Light Infantry) and Major S. M. Baros of CLI became the first Commanding Officer of the Cadet Battalion.
1917 – The First Hermen Loos (All Island) Camp was held in Diyathalawa. The Champions were Kingswood College, Kandy
1918 – With the recommendation of Brigadier General R. B. Fell (The CDF Commander), formation of Ceylon Cadet Battalion took place on the two divisions on 4 February 1918.
1948 – Colonel R.J.C. Mendis was appointed as the First Sri Lankan Commanding officer of the Ceylon Cadet Battalion.
1971 – Eight officers were mobilised for duties with the Regular Force during the period of April insurrection in various parts of the island.
1972 – Ceylon Cadet Corps changed its designation as Sri Lanka Cadet Corps after Ceylon declared itself a Republic.
1981 – Centenary Celebrations of Cadet Corps was held in Colombo.
1985 – Action was taken to amalgamate Sri Lanka Cadet Corps and the Police Cadet Corps under the Manpower Mobilization and Auxiliary Forces Act, No. 40 of 1985.
1985 – Girls Platoons were started in ten main cities of the island.
1988 – Sri Lanka Cadet Corps, which was part of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force changed its designation as the National Cadet Corps, and it was ceremonially inaugurated on 29 April 1988 by His Excellency J. R. Jayewardene, the then President of Sri Lanka under the above Act.
1990 – The National Cadet Corps Training Centre, Rantembe was established on 2 December 1990 by General Cyril Ranathunga, VSV the Secretary, Ministry of Defence.
1995 – A total 98 officers including 25 lady officers were mobilised to serve in the operational areas. Some of them were posted to Army HQ, SLMA, KDA and Sri Lanka Navy for various duties.
2001 – The Ministry of Defence took over Sri Gunalankara Vidyalaya from the Ministry of Education and established the HQ National Cadet Corps at Kalubowila on 18 May 2001.
2006 – 125th Anniversary celebrations.
All Cadets undergo practical and theoretical training at their platoon and company level in the areas such as Physical Fitness, Foot Drill, Weapon Training and Firing, Map Reading, Field Craft, First Aid, Regimental Duties, Confidence Building Course, Leadership Activities, Fire Fighting, etc. Annually assessment camps at battalion level are held at NCC Training Centre, Rantambe while Naval Cadet assessment camps are held in the Naval and Maritime Academy and Air Force Cadet assessment Camps of the SLAF Diyatalawa. The standard issued service weapon of NCC is the British Lee–Enfield Mk III.
Hermann Loos Championship Trophy – awarded annually to the best performing cadet platoon from a boys' school
De Soysa Champion – awarded annually to the best performing cadet platoon from a girls' school
Officers
Major General
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
2nd Lieutenant
Probationary officer
Cadets
Corps Regimental Sergeant Major – Senior Warrant Officer 1 (one in a Corps)
Battalion Regimental Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer 1 (one in a battalion)
Battalion Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant – Senior Warrant Officer 2 (one in a battalion)
Company Sergeant Major – Warrant Officer 2 (one in a Company)
Company Quarter Master Sergeant – Staff Sergeant (one in a Company)
Sergeant (five in a Company excluding the CSM and CQMS/depend on the platoons in the company)
Corporal (fifteen in a Company)
Lance Corporal (fifteen in a Company)
Cadet
Supplementary ranks
Regiment Sergeant Major (RSM)
Regiment Quarter Master Sergeant (RQMS)
Company Sergeant Major (CSM)
Company Quarter Master Sergeant(CQMS)
Major SM Borrous 1902–1905
Major James Von Langenberg ED CLI 1905–1915
Major WE Gratiaen 1916–17
Major Edvin Evans 1917–1920
Col LMCD Robison ED 1920–1932
Col SA Packman OBE MC 1932–1938
Col Robert Patrick ED 1938–1943
Col RJF Mendis OBE ED 1943–1948
Lt Col HVC De Silva ED 1948–1951
Col R Sabanayagam OBE 1951–1955
Bvt Col TN Munasinghe ED 1955–1960
Lt Col HCF Abeykoon ED 1960–61
Lt Col HSR Gunawardana 1961–1965
Lt Col PD Ramanayaka 1965–1968
Lt Col EA Perusinghe ED 1968–69
Bvt Col GW Rajapaksha ED 1969–1973
Bvt Col KPG Nilame ED 1973–1977
Bvt Col RB Narampanawa ED 1977–1980
Bvt Col NBS Balalle 1980–1984
Lt Col HKDA Fernando 1984–1987
Maj Gen E. G. Thevanayagam, VSV 1987–1991
Col HW senevirathna (Actg) 1991
Brig Justus B Rodrigo, VSV 1991–1994
Maj Gen T. N. De Silva, USP 1994–1999
Col YL Kulasooriya (Actg) 1999–2000
Brig GSM Ranathunga, USP 2000–2002
Col RM Somapala (Actg) 2002
Maj Gen WR Wijerathne, USP 2002–2004
Brig DHMRB Thammita, RSP 2004–05
Maj Gen GBW Jayasundara RWP RSP 2005–2013
Maj Gen HMHA Herath MSc.psc 2013–2015
Maj Gen LWCBB Rajaguru RWP,RSP,USP,Ldmc 2015–16
Maj Gen AKP Wickramasinghe USP 2016 to present.
