Edward Amerasakera
| Ekanayake Edward Rohan Ameresekere | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 May 1916 Kegalle, Ceylon |
| Died | 20 March 1974 (aged 57) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Allegiance |
 Ceylon United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Ceylon Air Force Royal Air Force
|
| Years of service | 19 years (RCyAF) 8 years (RAF) |
| Rank |
Air Vice-Marshal (RCyAF) Flight Lieutenant (RAF) |
| Commands held | Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |
Distinguished Flying Cross and BAR, 1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star with the France and Germany Bar, Defence Medal, War Medal |
Air Vice-Marshal Ekanayake Edward Rohan Ameresekere DFC & BAR, RCyAF (21 May 1916 – 20 March 1974) third Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force and World War II Royal Air Force Navigator.
Born in Kegalle, Ceylon on 21 May 1916, was one of the seven children of Edward Henry Ekanayake Ameresekere and Joslina Ameresekere (née de Silva Samarasinghe Siriwardena). Orphaned at the age of four, he was brought up by his uncle and aunt, Victor and Eda de Silva Siriwardena and later lived with his eldest sister, Hyacinth and her husband, Ashley Peiris at 'Ash Court', Kegalle. He received his education at Wesley College, Colombo (1925–29), Kingswood College, Kandy (1929–32), St. Mary's College, Kegalle (1933–34) and at the Pembroke Academy (1935–39).
With outbreak of World War II Ameresekere joined Ceylon Defence Force but was forced out by his sister and other family members. He like his compatriots Rex de Silva and Ananda Kularatne then, applied to join the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 19 September 1940, was selected and left for England with the first batch of RAF Recruits from Ceylon in June 1941 on the S.S. Exeter. He was commissioned while serving with No 158 Squadron as a Pilot Officer, General Duties (Navigator) Branch RAFVR. He flew as part of Halifax bomber crew. In 1943 he transferred to No. 35 Squadron of the Pathfinder Force but went back to his old squadron. Ameresekere was promoted to Flying Officer on 29 January 1944 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. In August 1944 he joined No 640 Squadron, serving till 1945. In 1945 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and was awarded the Bar to the DFC. He returned to Ceylon in Early 1946 and served at RAF Kandy, Ceylon until August 1946 and resigned his commission on November, 1946.
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