Clancy Fernando

Admiral Wannakuwatta Waduge Erwin Clancy Fernando VSV, USP, MSc, ndc, psc, MNI, SLN  (In Sinhalese: ) (10 October 1938–16 November 1992) was the  Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy from 1 November 1991 - 16 November 1992. He was assassinated by the LTTE in 1992, as the most senior officer in the Sri Lankan military to be killed in the line of duty.

Education
Admiral Fernando, received his secondary education at Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa. After leaving school he enlisted as a Cadet Officer in the Royal Ceylon Navy in December 1957. After completing basic training, he proceeded for training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, United Kingdom.

Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando held the memberships of the British Institute of Management, and the Nautical Institute of U.K and had obtained a Master’s Degree in Defence Studies. He had also been conferred with the certificate of Master Mariners and was the first President of Sri Lanka Branch of the Nautical Institute of U.K.

Admiral Fernando is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India and from the National Defence College in New Delhi.

Naval career
Within the Sri Lankan Navy, he has held the ranks of Midshipman, Sub Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain and Commodore respectively. During which time he commanded the SLNS Gajabahu, the flagship of the fleet. In 1991, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and held the post of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, shortly he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral on appointment to the office of the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy. After becoming Navy Commander he intensified naval operations against the LTTE, effectively denying the terrorist free use of the sea.

During his service years, he introduced the Sinhala communication system into the Navy and authored the book on ‘Customs and etiquettes of Services’.

Admiral W.W.E.C. Fernando had been awarded the Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, Uttama Seva Padakkama, Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal and Clasp, Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal, Ceylon Armed Services Long Services Medal and Clasp, Purna Bhumi Medal, President’s Inauguration Medal and the Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal.

Assassination
He was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber who drove an explosives laden motorbike into his staff car on the 16 November 1992 at 8.35 a.m, in front of the Galle Face Green. Killed in the bombing was Lieutenant (posthumously Lieutenant-Commander) Sandun Gunasekera his Flag Lieutenant and his driver. He was on his way to Naval Headquarters at Flagstaff Street in the Galle Buck from his official residence "Navy House" at Longden Place, Colombo after he returned from India after discussing Indo-Sri Lankan naval cooperation. He was posthumously promoted to Admiral.