Kularatne, Ananda
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Ananda |
Surname | Kularatne |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 16-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Patrick and Hilda Kularatne. Husband of Holly Margaret Kularatne, of Blackpool, Lancashire. Father of Simon Ananda Kularatne. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | HX155 |
Markings | DY-Q |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 211. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 195 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 158038 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 102 (Ceylon) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Ceylon |
Other Memorials
Location | St. Catherine's Church Barmby Moor, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Roll of Honour in wall mounted wooden case, Sqn Badge above |
Memorial Text | 102 (Ceylon) Sqn Roll of Honour and Sqn badge |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, Easy Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stylised Memorial with inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Memorial to 102 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF and 405 (Vancouver) Sqn RCAF which served at RAF Pocklington during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
His father was Principal of Ananda College, Ceylon. His mother was Hilda Westbrook a Cambridge graduate in French and German from Newnham College, a theosophist and educationist. She was founder Principal of Ananda Balika in Colombo, Sri Sumangala Girls School, Panadura, Mahamaya College, Kandy, Maliyadeva Girls School, Kurunegela and Sri Pushpadana Girls School, Kandy as well as being Principal of Visakha Vidyalaya during most of 1920. |
Ananda arrived in England in November 1941 after volunteering for RAF service. He was just 20 years old at the time of his enlistment in the RAF and had just started his second year of a general arts degree at Colombo University College and had learned to fly at Ratmalana Airport. In the RAF, Kularatne did his initial training course at Stratford-on-Avon in early 1942. He was awarded his pilots wings in February 1942 and then posted to 102 (Ceylon) Squadron, then based at Pocklington in North Yorkshire. From July 1943 until February 1944 Kularatne and his crew of six carried out 25 raids over Germany, Italy and occupied Europe including the maximum effort raids on Hamburg, Peenemunde and Berlin. Kularatne married an English woman in 1943 and his son, Simon Ananda Kularatne was born after his death. Simon Kularatne went on to become a Chartered Surveyor. He was also the Secretary of the 102 (Ceylon) Squadron Association until his death in Blackpool in 2016. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/810/4 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/810/3 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 15-02-1944 |
End Date | 16-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Pocklington |
Day/Night Raid | Night (63% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 891 aircraft- the largest raid on Berlin and in fact the largest 'non-1000' raid of the war. The bomb tonnage dropped was also a record at 2642 tons. 43 aircraft losses (4.8%). The bomber stream was tracked by the German controllers as soon as it left the English coast but a swing to the north over Denmark for the approach was effective as it was out of the range of many fighters. The controller ordered that Berlin be kept free of fighters to allow the flak batteries the full range of altitudes but many ignored the order and attacked bombers over the target. Berlin was cloud covered but the bombing was reasonably concentrated, although some bombs fell on outlying towns and villages. Damage was extensive with over 1000 houses and 526 temporary accommodation barracks destroyed. Some of the most important war industries were hit and 320 people were killed. The relatively low death toll is a reflection of the fact that large-scale evacuations had taken place by now. |
Reason for Loss | Lost over the target area |