Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
Medal, obverse (right) and reverse (left)
TypeMedal
Awarded for"individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy"
Presented byPresident of Sri Lanka
EligibilityPersons of any rank in the Sri Lankan regular or volunteer forces of the Army, Navy and Air Forces
Post-nominalsPWV
StatusCurrently awarded
Established1981
First awarded1991
Last awarded2016
Total31
Total awarded posthumously31
(including awards to MIA personnel later declared KIA)
Total recipients31
Ribbon bar
Precedence
Next (higher)None (Highest)
Next (lower)Weerodara Vibhushanaya (Non-combat)
RelatedUththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama

The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) (Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya; Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest military decoration, awarded for acts of exceptional valour in wartime. Parama Weera Vibhushanaya translates as the "Order of Supreem Heroism", and the award is granted for "individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy". Corporal Gamini Kularatne, was the first recipient. As of January 2021, the medal has been awarded 31 times, of which all were posthumous and arose from actions in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Of the 31 awardees, 28 have been from the Sri Lanka Army, two have been from the Sri Lanka Navy and one has been from the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Ceylon used the British awards system and continued post-independence until 1956, when British imperial honours were suspended. New awards were instituted in 1981. PWV is equivalent to the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom, the Medal of Honor in the United States and Param Vir Chakra in India.

History

From its formation the Ceylon Defence Force used British military decorations. The practice was continued after Ceylon gained independence in 1948 and the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950, and the Royal Ceylon Air Force in 1951. Following up on his election promise, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike suspended imperial honours. This meant only service medals such as the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal, the Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon) and the Efficiency Medal (Ceylon) were awarded. No gallantry medals were award during the 1971 JVP Insurrection. In 1972, Ceylon became a republic as the Republic of Sri Lanka. On 1 September 1981, President J. R. Jayewardene instituted new Sri Lankan awards for gallantry the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV), Weerodara Vibhushanaya (WV), Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (WWV), Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWV), and the Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) by the Gazette Extraordinary No. 156/5 of 1982.

Authority and privileges

As the highest award for valour in Sri Lanka, Parama Weera Vibhushanaya is always the first award to be presented at an awards ceremony by the President of Sri Lanka which includes the medal and a sanasa (award scroll). Recipients of the decoration can use the post-nominal letters "PWV" and it is always the first decoration worn in a row of medals and it is the first set of post-nominal letters used to indicate any decoration. Since all awards have been posthumous no tradition exists that require "all ranks to salute a bearer of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya", nor does it provide for any annuity or monitory benefits for the recipient or next of kin other than statuary pension or WNOP pension as with other similar awards such as the Victoria Cross.

Award process

The medal can be awarded to all ranks of the tri services, to both regular and volunteer forces, in recognition of:

...individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of a non-military nature of the most exceptional order performed voluntarily with no regard to his own life and security with the objective of saving or safeguarding the life or lives of a person or personnel imperiled by death or for a meritorious act or a series of acts of a humane nature of an exceptional order displayed in saving life from drowning, fire and rescue operations in mines, floods and similar calamities under circumstances of grave bodily injury or great danger to the life of the rescuer...

— [1]

Field commanders report actions that fulfill the conditions for a PWV to their respective service commanders, who review these reports and, if satisfactory, forward an official recommendation to an awards board composed of officers from the three armed services branches for further review. The board's report is sent to the office of the President who, as commander in chief, has final authority on the award.

As of 2018, all recipients of this award were killed or missing in action- no living serviceperson has ever worn the medal or the ribbon bar, or used the post-nominal letters to date, effectively making the PWV an exclusively posthumous award.

Recipients

Busts of recipients NameRank**UnitDate of actionConflictPlace of actionCitations
Gamini KularatneCorporalSri Lanka Sinha Regiment14 July 1991First Battle of Elephant PassElephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Saliya AladeniyaCaptainSri Lanka Sinha Regiment11 June 1990Battle of KokavilKokavil, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. W. T. NissankaLieutenantGajaba Regiment14 November 1993Battle of PoonerynPooneryn, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
W. I. M. SeneviratneLance CorporalSri Lanka Light Infantry4 July 1996Suicide bombingJaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
A.F. LafirColonelSpecial Forces Regiment19 July 1996Battle of Mullaitivu (1996)Mullaitivu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Tyron SilvapulleWing CommanderSri Lanka Air Force17 December 1999Sri Lankan Civil WarSeas off Thamilamadam, Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Lalith JayasingheLieutenant ColonelSpecial Forces Regiment26 November 2008LRRP actionOddusuddan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Jude Lakmal WijethungeLieutenant CommanderSri Lanka Navy30 March 1996Defending a Navy transport from a Sea Tiger attackSeas off Northern Province, Sri Lanka
G. S. JayanathMajorCommando Regiment4 December 1997Operation JayasikuruiMaankulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. A. GamageMajorSpecial Forces Regiment20 April 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveAmpalavanpokkanai, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Pasan GunasekeraWarrant Officer IIGajaba Regiment29 November 1995Operation RiviresaJaffna, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. G. ShanthaChief Petty OfficerSri Lanka Navy1 November 2008Battle against sea Tigers between Point Pedro and Nagar KovilSeas off Point Pedro, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. ChandanaCorporalSpecial Forces RegimentJune 2008LRRP actionNortheast of Mankulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Sugath Chandrasiri BandaraSergeantSpecial Forces Regiment3 February 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensivePuthukkudiyiruppu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
H. G. S. BandaraStaff SergeantVijayabahu Infantry Regiment17 May 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveNanthikadal, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
A. M. B. H. G. AbeyrathnebandaLance CorporalSri Lanka Sinha Regiment29 January 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveVisuamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka[2]
P.N. SurangaSergeantVijayabahu Infantry Regiment14 August 2006Battle of Jaffna (2006)Muhamalai-Nagarkovil defense line, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
A. M. N. P. AbesingheCorporalSri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment25 June 20082008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveThunukkai , Northern Province, Sri Lanka
T. G. D. R. DayanandaLance-CorporalSri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment16 September 20082008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveKilinochchi-Akkarayankulam Road, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
P. M. Nilantha Pushpa KumaraCorporalGemunu Watch1 February 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveVishvamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
U. G. A. S. SamaranayakeCaptainGemunu Watch2 February 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensivePTK Junction, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
H. G. M. H. I. MegawarnaCaptainGemunu Watch2 February 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensivePTK Junction, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
R. M. D. M. RathnayakeLance-CorporalSri Lanka Light Infantry Regiment11 May 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveNandikadal Lagoon, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
G. N. PunsiriCaptainGajaba Regiment2 July 20072008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveUvarakkulam, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
H. A. Nilantha KumaraCorporalCommando Regiment29 January 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensivePuthukuduiruppu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. G. D. GunasekaraSergeantCommando Regiment16 February 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveDara Point, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
W. T. JayatillakeLieutenantGemunu Watch20 April 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensiveIranamadu, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
K. G. N. PereraStaff SergeantCommando Regiment21 April 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensivePuthumatalan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
S. P. M. L. PushpamaCorporalCommando Regiment21 April 20092008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensivePuthumatalan, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
W.M.I.S.B. WalisundaraMajorGajaba Regiment2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive[3]
A.M. AnuraSergeantSinha Regiment2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive[3]
K.G.M. RajapakshaLance CorporalSinha Regiment2008–2009 Sri Lankan Army Northern offensive[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Medals". Sri Lanka Army. army.lk. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  2. ↑ "PWV Citation – S/198852 Rec Abeyrathnebanda A. M. B. H. G. 21 SLSR (Posthumous)" (PDF). The Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Acts of Bravery Rewarded with Gallantry Medals in Glittering Ceremony". Sri Lanka Army. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
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