Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
| Sri Lanka Rifle Corps | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Sri Lanka Rifle Corps |
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| Active | 1984 - Present |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Branch | Sri Lanka Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 2 Battalions |
| Part of | Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ - Sri Lanka Army Headquarters, Colombo. |
| Nickname | SLRC |
| Battles/wars | Insurrection 1987-89 Sri Lankan Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
General Ranjan Wijeratne |
The Sri Lanka Rifle Corps (SLRC) a (reserve) regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of two volunteer (reserve) battalions. It has been formed with personal from the central highlands and the many plantations in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
History
The origins of the Rifle Corps can be traced back to the colonial era when the British planters in the central highlands of Ceylon formed a volunteer regiment called the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps in 1887 which was attached to the Ceylon Defence Force. This regiment was disbanded when the Ceylon Army was formed in 1949.
In the 1980's the management of the many plantations called for the recreation of a similar volunteer regiment in the highlands. Due these requests two battalions were raised in Pallekele and Neuchatel Estate Neboda on 15th February 1985. The first commanding Officers were Lieutenant Colonel(later General) Ranjan Wijeratne who was the Chairman of the State Plantations Corporation and Lieutenant Colonel P.R Seneviratne who was the Chairman of the Janatha Estate Development Board. These two battalions have deployed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces due to the Civil War. Currently the regiment is deployed in the Central Province.
Units
- 1st Battalion, Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
- 2nd Battalion, Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
Notable members
- General Ranjan Wijeratne - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs & Minister of State for Defence.
Order of Precedence
| Preceded by: Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps |
Order of Precedence | Succeeded by: Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps |
See also
External links and sources
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 Sri Lanka Army |  Sri Lanka Navy | 
Sri Lanka Air Force |
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