Shirantha Goonatilake

Infobox Military Person
name= Shirantha Goonatilake
lived=? - 29 April 1995 KIA
placeofbirth= Colombo, Sri Lanka
placeofdeath= Jaffna, Sri Lanka


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= flagicon|Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
serviceyears=
rank=Air Commodore
branch=
branch
commands=Commanding Officer Flying Training Wing
unit=No. 1 Flying Training Wing, SLAF
battles= Sri Lankan Civil War
awards=Rana Wickrama Padakkama,
Rana Sura Padakkama
laterwork=
Air Commodore Shirantha Goonatilake RWP,RSP, SLAF (? - 29 April 1995 KIA) was Sri Lankan aviator and most senior Air Force officer to be killed in action. He was the youngest son of Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonatilake the 5th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force from 1976 to 1981 and the brother of the current Commander of the Air Force , Air Marshal Roshan Goonatilake.

Early life

Shirantha Goonatilake completed his education at the prestigious Royal College, Colombo and followed in the footsteps of his father and older brother to join the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Military career and death

He was killed on 29 April 1995 when the Avro 748 he was piloting, at the time carrying 45 armed forces personnel, was attacked by the LTTE with a MANPADS. His last words over the radio were "A missile is coming my way", giving the Air Force the first indication that the LTTE were using SAMs. He was the Commanding Officer of Flying Training Wing at Ratmalana at the time of his death.

References

* [http://slaf.airforce.lk/project1/slaf6.php?no=01301 Fallen Heroes]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/11/25/spice01.asp Harry Goonatilake, a true patriot]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/01/20/spice01.asp Heroes who made the supreme sacrifice]

External links

* [http://www.airforce.lk/ Official Website of Sri Lanka Air Force]