{{Short description|Sri Lankan army officer}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Major General |name = P. Percy Fernando {{KIA}} |honorific_suffix = RWP, RSP, USP, CR |birth_date = {{Birth date|1952|06|30}} |death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|04|22|1952|06|30}} |birth_place = Wellawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka |death_place = Elephant Pass |image = Major_General_Percy_Fernando.jpg |caption = |nickname = |service_years = |allegiance = {{flag|Sri Lanka}} |rank = 10px Major General (posthumous) |branch = {{army|Sri Lanka}} |commands = Deputy GOC, 54 Division,<br> brigade commander of the Special Forces Brigade |unit = Commando Regiment |battles = Sri Lankan Civil War,<br> 1987–1989 JVP insurrection |awards = 23px Rana Wickrama Padakkama<br>23px Rana Sura Padakkama<br>23px Uttama Seva Padakkama |other_work = }} Major General '''Percy Fernando''', RWP, RSP, psc, CR (died 2000) was a Sri Lankan Army officer, who was the Deputy GOC, 54 Division based at Elephant Pass and prior to which he was the brigade commander of the independent Special Forces Brigade.
Educated at Royal College, Colombo,<ref>[http://www.island.lk/2009/06/30/features7.html Royal college salutes the Royalist war heroes]</ref> where he represented the school and captained the rowing team <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.royalcollege.lk/The%20site/rowing.html|title= Rowing|publisher= www.royalcollege.lk|date= |accessdate= 2011-09-30|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110919032943/http://www.royalcollege.lk/The%20site/rowing.html|archive-date= 2011-09-19|url-status= dead}}</ref> and winning several races at the Royal Thomian Regatta. Fernando joined the army after leaving school and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Later he transferred to the Commando Regiment when it was formed in the 1980s.
Brigadier Fernando was the Sri Lanka Military Academy commandant from 1998 to 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.army.lk/slma/Sub%20Pages/Comdt/Commandant.htm |title=Commandants, Sri Lanka Military Academy |access-date=2011-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712144544/http://www.army.lk/slma/Sub%20Pages/Comdt/Commandant.htm |archive-date=2011-07-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He served as the Deputy GOC, 54 Division based at Elephant Pass during the Second Battle of Elephant Pass in 2000. Following orders from the GOC 54 Division to evacuate the base before taken over by LTTE, and make a withdrawal of troops from Elephant Pass, Brigadier Fernando organized and carried out an orderly withdrawal, commanding the rear guard alongside his troops. At this point during the withdrawal he was killed by a sniper.<ref>[http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200004/20000424solgers_injured.html 72 soldiers killed, 243 injure] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223234510/http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200004/20000424solgers_injured.html |date=2012-02-23 }}</ref> He was promoted to the rank of major general posthumously. ==Decorations== General Fernando has received the Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP), Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP), Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP), the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal, the Riviresa Campaign Services Medal, the Purna Bhumi Padakkama and the North and East Operations Medal.
<div class="center"> 110px 110px
110px 110px 110px 110px 110px
</div> {| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;" |- | || Rana Wickrama Padakkama || Rana Sura Padakkama |- | Uththama Seva Padakkama || Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal || Purna Bhumi Padakkama || North and East Operations Medal || Riviresa Campaign Services Medal |}
The [http://www.srilankarowing.org/Index.php Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka] and the Colombo Rowing Club honour his memory by awarding the Percy Fernando Memorial Trophy annually to the winner of the over 19 event <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.srilankarowing.org/presidentspeech.php|title= Presidents Speech|publisher=www.srilankarowing.org |date= |accessdate=2011-09-30}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090217220618/http://dailynews.lk/2009/01/10/sec01.asp Troops capture Elephant Pass:Road to Jaffna open] *[http://sundaytimes.lk/961215/major.html Major shuffle in the army hierarchy]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernando, Percy}} Category:Sri Lankan major generals Category:Alumni of Royal College, Colombo Category:2000 deaths Category:Sri Lanka Army Commando officers Category:Sri Lankan military personnel killed in action Category:Sinhalese military personnel Category:1952 births