In memoriam · 1987–1991
Gamini Kularatne (Hasalaka Gamini)
Corporal (posthumous promotion) · Sri Lanka Army
A Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment rifleman who sacrificed his life to neutralize an enemy armored bulldozer during the siege of Elephant Pass.
- Date of death
- 14 July 1991
- Location
- Elephant Pass, Jaffna Peninsula
- Documented circumstances
- Killed in action while storming an advancing improvised armor unit with hand grenades.
- Associated operation or assignment
- First Battle of Elephant Pass (1991)
Biography
S/34553 Lance Corporal Gamini Kularatne was born in Hasalaka, Kandy District. He enlisted in the 6th Battalion of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment in August 1987.
During the siege of Elephant Pass in July 1991, an armor-plated bulldozer packed with weapons threatened to breach the camp's outer defenses. Armed with two hand grenades, Kularatne sprinted through heavy fire, climbed the vehicle, and dropped grenades inside, disabling it before succumbing to bullet wounds.
Military service
Enlisted in the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force and attached to 6th Battalion, Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (6 SLSR).
Manned the Forward Defense Line at Elephant Pass during the 1991 siege.
Posthumous honours
First recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV), Sri Lanka's highest military decoration for valor.
Posthumously promoted to Corporal.
Call sign or alias
Hasalaka Weeraya (Hasalaka Hero)
Historical documentation