Grand old Lankan pays tribute to fallen comrades on ANZAC Day

97-year-old Felicitas Appathurai served as a Radar Plotter with the Royal Ceylon Air Force during World War II

Felicitas Appathurai, aged 97, did Sri Lanka proud at the 106th ANZAC Day celebrations in Australia. Felicitas fondly known as Girla, who at the age of 19, had worked as a Radar Plotter with the Royal Ceylon Air Force during World War II was nominated by Roderick Hilliker to be given the honour of placing a wreath representing the Sri Lankan community at the 2021 Dawn Service held at the Alfred Square Cenotaph Parramatta on April 25.

She placed the wreath before a crowd of around 1,000 including family members.

To this day, Felicitas talks very fondly about her role in the war effort. And it seems that love of her service with the Armed Forces has filtered down to her grandchildren and great grandchildren - she has two grandsons in the Victorian Police Force, two great grandsons with the Australian Defence Force and an 18-year-old great granddaughter who plans to join the NSW Police Force this year.