Susantha Mendis

Major General B.B. Susantha Mendis, USP (1951 – 11 September 1998) was a senior Sri Lanka Army general, who was the former Commanding Officer of 51-2 Brigade based in Jaffna.[1]

Susantha Mendis
Born1951 (1951)
Died11 September 1998 (aged 46–47)
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
AllegianceSri Lanka
Service/branchSri Lankan Army
Years of service1970-1998 †
RankMajor General (posthumous)
UnitSri Lanka Sinha Regiment
Commands held51-2 Brigade
Battles/wars1971 Insurrection
Insurrection 1987-89
Sri Lankan Civil War
AwardsUttama Seva Padakkama
Desha Putra Sammanaya
Alma materSt. Sylvester's College

Early life and education

Mendis was educated at St Sylvester's College, Kandy.

Military career

He joined the Sri Lanka Army as an officer cadet and received his basic officer training at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Sinha Regiment. During his career he held many positions within the army including that of Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, Sri Lanka Singh Regiment. Brigadier Mendis was Commanding Officer of 51-2 Brigade attached to the 51 Division.

Death

On 11 September 1998, he attended a meeting at the office of the Mayor of Jaffna to discuss traffic arrangements in the town of Jaffna. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) detonated a bomb in the office killing 12 persons including Brigadier Mendis, Mayor Pon Sivapalan, SSP Chandra Perera, Captain Ramanayaka, the Brigadier's Principal Staff Officer (PSO) and four police officers. Also killed were S Pathamanathan, Commissioner for Rehabilitation of the Jaffna Municipality and Architect Mallika Rajaratnam. Brigadier Mendis was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major General.

References
  1. Heroes who made the supreme sacrifice
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