Colombo Racecourse () is a historical

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...

course in the

Cinnamon Gardens Cinnamon Gardens ( ''Kurundu Vaththa'', ) is an affluent neighbourhood in Colombo, Sri Lanka located 3 kilometers south-east of Colombo's centre. Cinnamon Gardens is named for the former cinnamon plantation in this area. In the year 1789, there w ...

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it was used as a temporary airfield. In 2012, it was redeveloped as the Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex to become the first International

Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

ground in Sri Lanka to host all the national rugby union side's home matches. In 2014, the ground went through a major renovation, which included the installation of floodlights and the conversion of a substantial part of the grandstand into a shopping and dining complex. The ground hosted the

2022 SAFF U-17 Championship The 2022 SAFF U-17 Championship was the seventh edition of the SAFF U-17 Championship, an international football competition for men's under-17 national teams organized by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). The tournament took place in Sri ...

History

Horse racing

Officially opened for horse racing in 1893 after it was moved from the Colpitty Race Course, as one of the best in terms of design, facilities, and size in the East. In 1922 a

totalisator A tote board (or totalisator/totalizator) is a numeric or alphanumeric display used to convey information, typically at a race track (to display the odds or payoffs for each horse) or at a telethon (to display the total amount donated to the char ...

was installed becoming the first race course in the East to have one. The Colombo Turf Club was based here with its own pavilion and clubhouse next to the grandstand.

Airstrip

In late 1941,

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

began in the East. After the

fall of Singapore The fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore, took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold of Singapore, with fighting lasting from 8 to 15 February 1942. S ...

the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

East Indies Station The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy. Created in 1744 by the Admiralty, it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. Even in official documents, the term ''East Indies Station'' wa ...

was moved to Colombo and then to

Trincomalee Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

Geoffrey Layton Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, (20 April 1884 – 4 September 1964) was a Royal Navy officer. He was in command of the submarine when, under attack from German vessels, it ran aground off the Danish coast during the First World War. Despite thi ...

was appointed

Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon The Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon was a military post created during World War II to form a unified command for all British military, naval and air units in Ceylon. The first to be appointed to this post was Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, whose powe ...

with

Air Vice Marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...

John D'Albiac Air Marshal Sir John Henry D'Albiac, (28 January 1894 – 20 August 1963) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Notably he was the British air commander for the Battle of Greece. Biography D'Albiac was e ...

as air officer commanding,

No. 222 Group RAF No. 222 Group was a group of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Formed on 1 September 1941, based at Ceylon. Squadrons were stationed around the Indian Ocean. The group undertook long-range bombing and mine-laying operations that to ...

which was based in Ceylon. The order was given to construct an airfield at the Colombo Racecourse. D S Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture and Lands (later the 1st Prime Minister of Ceylon) was given the task of its construction. Consisting only of a single runway, station headquarters and the officers' mess were set up in the bungalows in Cinnamon Gardens and were serviced by a newly established

military hospital A military hospital is a hospital owned or operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a m ...

in the premises of

Royal College Colombo Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Si ...

. Two squadrons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) were based at the racecourse. They were

No. 258 Squadron RAF No. 258 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron during the First and Second World Wars. History First World War No. 258 Squadron was first formed 25 July 1918 from 523, 525 and 529 Special Duties Flights at Luce Bay near Stranraer, Scotland un ...

with

Hawker Hurricanes The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

and

No. 11 Squadron RAF No. 11 or XI Squadron (sometimes featuring an 'F' to represent its historic fighter role (No. 11(F) or XI(F) Squadron)), is "the world's oldest, dedicated fighter unit" and continues the traditions established by the similarly numbered Royal Fly ...

with

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

s. When the

Easter Sunday Raid The Easter Sunday Raid was an air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid by carrier-based aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy on 5 April 1942. The Japanese objective was to destroy the Ceylon-based British Eastern Fleet ...

occurred the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

bombed the RAF units at RAF Ratmalana yet passed over the Racecourse Airstrip without knowing it existed. This allowed the Hurricanes of No. 11 Squadron to deploy and intercept the Japanese raiders.

Royal Navy

The

(RN) also established a

naval air station A Naval Air Station (NAS) is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy (Naval aviation). These bases are typically populated by squadron ...

here during the Second World War. It was transferred from the RAF on 1 September 1943, then known as Royal Naval Air Station Colombo Racecourse, (or RNAS Colombo Racecourse) and then commissioned a month later as HMS ''Bherunda'' on 1 October, under the command of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

A.F. Campbell, , RN. 797 Fleet Requirements Unit and 742 Communications Squadron were stationed at the airbase, along with accommodation and training facilities for disembarked squadrons, including Fighter Direction training. There were also a number of sub-units in Colombo including use of the local Rowlands Garage which was acquired for

aero engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are referred to as powered flight. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbin ...

repairs and the fixing of aircraft wings, and became the Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Depot, Colombo. Additionally there was the Naval Aircraft Embarkation Unit, Colombo, the Royal Naval School of Malarial Control and Tropical Hygiene, and close by the Royal Naval Air Ceylonese Training Establishment Maharagama and the Royal Naval Air Motor Transport Depot, Nugegoda. The airbase '

paid off Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship i ...

' on 30 November 1945.

Royal Navy Flying Units

List of first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units based at this location: * 742 Naval Air Squadron *

755 Naval Air Squadron 755 Naval Air Squadron (755 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron from 1939 to 1944. Initially operating out of HMS ''Kestr ...

756 Naval Air Squadron 756 Naval Air Squadron (756 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was initially formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron, operating from May to August 1939, out of RNAS Wort ...

* 797 Naval Air Squadron *

800 Naval Air Squadron 800 Naval Air Squadron (800 NAS) also referred to as 800 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Harrier as part of Joint Force Harrier (JFH), from March ...

803 Naval Air Squadron 803 Naval Air Squadron (803 NAS), sometimes called 803 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Blackburn Buccaneer, between July 1967 until December 1969. Init ...

804 Naval Air Squadron 804 Naval Air Squadron (804 NAS), also referred to as 804 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Supermarine Scimitar between March 1960 and September 1961 ...

807 Naval Air Squadron 807 Naval Air Squadron (807 NAS) sometimes referred to as 807 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Supermarine Scimitar F.1 strike aircraft between Octobe ...

808 Naval Air Squadron 808 Naval Air Squadron is a ship-based helicopter squadron of the Royal Australian Navy. 808 Naval Air Squadron (808 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). Originally established as a flee ...

814 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron or 814 NAS, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It is currently equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and is based at Royal Naval Air Stat ...

832 Naval Air Squadron 832 Naval Air Squadron (832 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). The squadron was established as a Torpedo, Spotter, Reconnaissance (TSR) unit at HMS ''Daedalus'', RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in Ap ...

845 Naval Air Squadron 845 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Part of the Commando Helicopter Force, it is a specialist amphibious unit operating the AgustaWestland Commando Merlin HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load ...

848 Naval Air Squadron 848 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operated the Westland Sea King HC.4 helicopter and previously provided advanced flying training to pilots for the other squadrons in the Commando Helicopter Force. The ...

851 Naval Air Squadron 851 Naval Air Squadron (851 NAS), also referred to as 851 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It was formed in October 1943 at Squantum Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, United States ...

888 Naval Air Squadron 888 Naval Air Squadron (888 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was first established as a Fleet fighter unit at HMS ''Daedalus'', RNAS Lee-on-Solent, in November 1941. The squadron boa ...

889 Naval Air Squadron 889 Naval Air Squadron (889 NAS), sometimes referred to as 889 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was last active during 1945 operating Grumman Hellcat fighter aircraft. The sq ...

898 Naval Air Squadron 898 Naval Air Squadron (898 NAS), also referred to as 898 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated Hawker Sea Hawk at RNAS Brawdy, RNAS Brawdy (HMS ''Goldcrest'' ...

1830 Naval Air Squadron 1830 Naval Air Squadron (1830 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1947 to 1957. Established at HMS ''Saker'' ...

1834 Naval Air Squadron 1834 Naval Air Squadron (1834 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was established as a single-seat fighter squadron in July 1943, at RNAS Quonset Point (HMS ''Saker'' II) in the United ...

1836 Naval Air Squadron 1836 Naval Air Squadron (1836 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It was established at HMS ''Saker'' II, RNAS Quonset Point, in August 1943, with Vought Corsair aircraft as a single-seat f ...

1837 Naval Air Squadron 1837 Naval Air Squadron (1837 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). The squadron was established in the United States at HMS ''Saker'' II, the Royal Naval Air Station at USNAS Quonset Point ...

* 1838 Naval Air Squadron *

1839 Naval Air Squadron 1839 Naval Air Squadron (1839 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). Established as a fighter squadron at HMS ''Gannet'', RNAS Eglinton in Northern Ireland in November 1943, it formed part o ...

* 1841 Naval Air Squadron *

1842 Naval Air Squadron 1842 Naval Air Squadron (1842 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) between 1944 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1953 to 1957. The squadron was formed as a ...

1843 Naval Air Squadron 1843 Naval Air Squadron (1843 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1953 to 1957. It formed in the United Stat ...

1844 Naval Air Squadron 1844 Naval Air Squadron (1844 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1954 to 1957. It formed in Northern Irela ...

Decline

Following the end of the war the airfield was dismantled, racecourse was reconverted back to a horse racing track. This was greatly affected after gambling and betting were banned in the country in 1956. This resulted in horse racing stopping completely in Colombo thereafter along with Nuwara Eliya Racecourse (which re-opened in 1981). The Colombo Racecourse, the Colombo Turf Club and its grounds were taken over by the government and its large land extent was segmented and distributed to government entities. Southern parts went to the

University of Colombo The University of Colombo (informally Colombo University or UoC) is a Public University, public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the oldest institution of modern higher education in Sri Lanka. Specialised in t ...

, the northern portion to the Department of National Archives while others to the

Royal College Sports Complex The Royal College Sports Complex is the rugby union grounds of Royal College, Colombo, previously known as the Royal College Rugby Grounds. It serves as a multi-use stadium and sports complex. Built in 2000 with funds from the Royal College U ...

, Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club and sporting bodies. The Grandstand and the Colombo Turf Club building were neglected and used for different purposes. The

Sri Lanka Army The Sri Lanka Army (; ) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; ...

used it as a temporary garrison from time to time as well as the

Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF; ; ) is the air force, air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major r ...

used what was left of racecourse grounds for landing transport

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

Colombo Racecourse Sports Complex

In 2011 the Urban Development Authority commenced the renovation of the Grand Stand and the Colombo Turf Club building. The structures were renovated by the 6th Engineer Services Regiment and Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau. The remaining grounds were redeveloped into Sri Lanka's first international-grade Rugby Union grounds.

References

Bibliography

External links

* {{authority control Buildings and structures in Colombo Sports venues in Colombo Military of British Ceylon Airports in Sri Lanka Defunct horse racing venues in Sri Lanka Shopping malls in Sri Lanka Tourist attractions in Colombo World War II sites in Sri Lanka 1893 establishments in Ceylon Rugby union stadiums in Sri Lanka