With the formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950 he was commissioned as a regular officer with the rank of lieutenant commander . In 1951 he was made the commanding officer of HMCyS Vijaya the first ship of the new navy . Taking successive commands at sea and in shore establishments of the now growing navy , he was promoted to the ranks of commander in 1955 and captain in 1959 , by which time he was Chief of Staff of the Navy . In 1960 he was made acting Captain of the Navy with promotion to the rank of temporary commodore , when Rear Admiral Royce de Mel was relieved of command following an inquiry into officers smuggling contraband . When a coup d'état was attempted in 1962 , which included de Mel , Kadirgamar was targeted by the coup and was planned to be held under house arrest . The coup failed and its leaders arrested shortly . Even though his brother was a defense council for the coup leaders in the long trial that followed , Kadirgamar remained head of the navy , when other service commanders were quickly changed . In 1964 his appointment was confirmed and he served as Captain of the Navy until his retirement in 1970 with the rank of rear admiral . Even though funding was cut and recruitment halted in the navy by the government , he established the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee . He was a working director at Port Cargo Corporation and played a major role in establishing the Ceylon Shipping Corporation . Kadirgamar was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order ( MVO ) for service to HM Queen Elizabeth II and had been awarded the 1939-1945 Star , the Burma Star for war service from 1939 – 1945 . For service in the Royal Ceylon Navy he received the service medals Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal , Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal . He had also served as extra aide-de-camp to three Governor-Generals . He also served as President of the Swimming Union
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Rajan Kadiragamar