On 9 April 1942

On 9 April 1942, whilst escorting the British carrier Hermes off Batticaloa, they were attacked by Japanese carrier aircraft. Both ships sunk, Vampire broken in half by a well placed bomb. Nine crew were lost.


There's some good pictures of HMAS (HMS) Vampire here: http://www.maritimequest.com/warship...d68_page_1.htm

Crew from HMS Vampire assisted in rescuing some crew from the Aberdeen trawler Imperial Prince when she founded on the Belshevie Sands in October 1923.

See here for a description: http://www.bavidge.co.uk/black_dog.htm

The picture shows the National Maritime museum.

The Army engineers are nearing completion of a project to restore and reconstruct a 45-kilometer segment of a major highway in the East.

The Army engineers are nearing completion of a project to restore and reconstruct a 45-kilometer segment of a major highway in the East. The Army started a three-phased project to restore the section between Somawathiya-Seruwavila of the A-15 highway that connects Trincomalee to Batticaloa in the East in April 2008. Under the phase one the Army Engineers have completed construction and restoration from Seruwavila to Arippu Junction, a distance of about 6.7 km. Under the second stage, troops have cleared jungle areas on both sides of the road and laid out the draining system extending up to Verugal Aru covering another 7 km. This jungle clearing is still continuing. The Army expects to finish the third phase and complete the entire project within the next eighteen months. The entire Army's involvement will cover 45 km while Mahaweli Authority and Road Development Authority are expected to complete the remaining phases. Source:http://www.colombopage.com/archive_091/Jul1247074517CH.html

Video - Batticaloa

Kuru maharaji visit Mamangapillaiyar Kovil 01:11 Kuru maharaji visited Mamangapillaiyar Kovil Batticaloa http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D_prxJtwW0iQ&source=video&vgc=rss&usg=AFQjCNFcvgaVStZ9uslyZ81-LM8d-YsfAQ

Kuru maharaji visit Mamangapillaiyar Kovil 2 00:57 Kuru maharaji visit Mamangapillaiyar Kovil Batticaloa Sri Lanka http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DAuOhAammhjA&source=video&vgc=rss&usg=AFQjCNFLtCgJjKmxyuCFjgyuzUSfm1DB-w

Kuru maharaji visit Mamangapillaiyar Kovil 1 00:33 Kuru maharaji visit Mamangapillaiyar Kovil Batticaloa Sri lanka http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3De3fsWhJOQ9Y&source=video&vgc=rss&usg=AFQjCNEo2F9sH-T9GJkrbfNA9xrbFyNB4g

Entire Eastern coastal belt was part of the Kandyan Kingdom

As for the Eastern Province the entire Eastern coastal belt was part of the Kandyan Kingdom . When the Dutchman Admiral Van Spilbergen arrived in Batticaloa in 1602, he was greeted by a Dissawe of the King of Kandy (Wimaladharmasuriya I) whose kingdom extended to the East coast to include both Batticaloa and Trincomalee. A painting that was presented to the Dutch Burger Union by the Netherlands Armed Forces clearly proves this fact. It was the Kandyan King’s (Rajasinghe II) troops that captured Robert Knox and not an ‘army’ of some mythical Tamil King who ruled so-called traditional Tamil homeland. (Asiapost)

Sri Lanka: 18 Muslim armed groups exist in Batticaloa district

Eighteen Muslim armed groups are functioning in Kaaththankudi alone in Batticaloa district and the total number of persons in these groups is said to be about two hundred, according to a report compiled by a special police team handed over to the defense authorities.

http://www.australiantamil.com/?p=5143

Batticaloa Distance from Colombo 303km

Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, 69 miles south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.

Batticaloa is a quiet little place, with a small but well-preserved Dutch fort surrounded by a large lagoon on three sides. The constantly shifting views of land, lagoon and ocean lend Batticaloa an interesting character. A visit to the Kalkudah and Passekudah beaches is a must in the route from Arugam Bay upto Polonnaruwa.

The award-winning French charity Handicap International has a small factory producing artificial limbs in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka’s eastern province

The charity, which has a small factory producing artificial limbs in Batticaloa in Sri Lanka’s eastern province, has opened an emergency unit at one of the centres for people who fled the fighting, and is working with other suppliers to meet what it described a “huge demand”.

The scale of civilian casualties who have been maimed in the war was disclosed by the award-winning French charity Handicap International, which works with the victims of war throughout the world.

Handicap International’s Sri Lanka director Satish Misra said the number of maimed could be “about 25,000 to 30,000 people”.

He said he had established an emergency centre at Vavuniya last year in anticipation of the demand, and that a team of specialist physiotherapists and occupational therapists were now working with the victims.

Their work has been hampered by a government ban on refugees leaving the camp which means the wounded cannot be taken to his factory in Batticaloa, on the eastern coast, where new artificial limbs are fitted and the patients are trained in their use.