On 11 November 1918, the guns of the Great War finally fell silent. Each year since, Armistice Day has served as a moment of reflection and gratitude — a time to remember those who gave their lives in pursuit of peace.
For Trinity College, Kandy, the First World War remains a deeply significant chapter in its story. A tally of 65 men from Trinity, including Principal A. G. Fraser, served in the war. Thirteen made the ultimate sacrifice; eighteen were wounded, two were taken prisoner, and three were awarded commissions for distinguished service.
Among these gallant men, several names stand out for their courage and devotion: Richard Aluwihare, Albert Halangoda, Frank Drieberg, Ajit (Jik) Rudra, Aelian Pereira, H. E. Garvin, John Andrew, and J. W. S. Bartholomeusz. Aelian Pereira was commissioned into the Durham Light Infantry, while Bartholomeusz received the Croix de Guerre (First Class) for his valour. It was through their bravery and sacrifice that the College received its most enduring symbol of remembrance — the German machine gun.
Overlooking the quadrangle stands this remarkable memorial: a Maschinengewehr 08 (MG 08), the standard German machine gun used during the war. Captured from an enemy camp during a victory march, the MG 08 was presented to Trinity by the British Empire in recognition of the College’s remarkable contribution to the war effort. It was one of the first notable war trophies awarded to Ceylon and the very first to be presented to a school outside England.
The memorial was unveiled on 16 October 1919 by the then Governor of Ceylon, Sir William Henry Manning, on behalf of King George V. The platform upon which it stands was built with blocks of rock from Asgiriya, placed on the bank beside Alison House. In his address, the Governor paid tribute to the College:
“To me Trinity College has a record and a Roll of Honour of which it may be justly proud. I find that 65 masters, men and boys gave their services overseas during the war and of these 65, there were no fewer than 33 casualties – 13 killed, 18 wounded, and two taken prisoner by the Germans. Now that is 50% of the number that proceeded to the battle front. It is a record, I repeat again of which Trinity College may well be proud – a record, I am sure you will agree with me, which any battalion, any regiment, any unit of His Majesty’s service would be proud of.”
Today, more than a century later, the German machine gun remains not as a symbol of war, but as a reminder of courage, sacrifice, and peace. It tells the story of young Trinitians who once left the classrooms and playing fields of Kandy to serve on distant fronts — many never to return.
In 2018, Trinity marked the centenary of the Armistice with a Service of Thanksgiving at the College Chapel. That moment of reflection, a hundred years after the war’s end, reaffirmed the values that continue to define Trinity: humility, service, and faith in times of trial.
As we observe Armistice Day in 2025, we remember those who gave their all, and we honour their legacy by striving to build a world worthy of their sacrifice.
“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”
Here we state the names of those who served in the Great War (1914-1918):
PRO PACE MORTUI [trans. “Died for peace”]
AIYADURAI R.
CAMPBELL N.P.
DE VOS H.A.E.
DRIEBERG F.
FORSTER H.G.
GRIGSON RANKINE J.H.
HAYDEN T.
KENT C.F.H.
LOOS J.
MURRAY K.
PARAMANANTHAN A.
PERERA A.G.F.
SCOTT-COATES P.
SKIPP R.
WELLS A.J.
HI QUOQUE SERVIERUNT [trans. “They also served”]
ALUWIHARE R.
ANDARAWEWA P.A.
ANDREW J.
ARNDT. C
ASCHE H.C.J.
ASIRVADEM S.
BARTHOLOMEUSZ J.W.S
FRASER A.G.
GARVIN H.E
GOONERATNE C.
GOONETILEKE .A
GRIGSON RANKINE E. Y.
GRIGSON RANKINE G.C.
GUNASEKARA A.W.
HALANGODE A.B.
HENRY J.A.E
HILL F.
HOULDER A.C.
JANSEN .R
JONES R.L.
MACDONALD R.
MC GREGOR L.D.
MARTIN O.
MODDER V.
MULGRUE G.R.
ONDATJE R.
PATE W.H.
PAYNTER A.G.
PAYNTER H.S.
PELPOLA P.D.
PEREIRA A.E.
PERERA H.A.
PILAPITIYA D.L.
RENFREW J.
ROBERTS .J
ROBERTS W.H.
RUDRA A.
SAUNDERS P.
SELVADURAI E.M.
SENEVIRATNE D.B.
SQUIRE E.C.
STEWART R.
THEIN P.E.
THOMSON R.D.
VAN DER POORTEN A.
WAGISWERA W.D.K.
WALMSLEY A.M.
WEERAKDOY T.
WEINMANN C.O.
WHITE O.
YOUNG C.
-SA
