The Barbados Defence Force and
Sri Lanka Defence Services
Cocktail Reception and Welcome
Force Media | 04 AUG 2018
Photography credit: Force Media, Lt S Gollop
The Barbados Defence Force recently hosted a cocktail reception for the Sri Lankan Defence Services Cricket Tour, at the Officers’ Mess St Ann’s Fort.
Minister of the Creative Economy, Culture and Sports the Honourable John King, endorsed the sporting partnership between the Forces as an opportunity to forge positive lasting relationships. Minister King further highlighted the efforts by the Chief of Staff Colonel Glyne Grannum and the BDF for organizing the Tour and the sponsorship support by Mr Devon Chase and the BTMI.
Members of the Sri Lankan Defence Services contingent include; Major General Bimal Sirichandra Widanage, Rear Admiral Sumith Ananda Weerasinghe, Brigadier Walimuni Benito Shiran Mendis Abeysekera, Commander Ambeypitiyage Nishantha De Silva, Lieutenant Commnader Guwan Supunsara Leelarathne and Lieutenant AD Asith Danushka Weerasuriya.
Hon John King MP addressing the Cocktail Reception and Welcome
Captain Michael Jules, Sports Coordinator for the Barbados Defence Force gave the T/20 tournament dates Tuesday 7th, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th August 2018 with the matches to be played at Paragon Playing Field starting at 12 noon. The day/night 50 overs matches will take place at the 3 W’s Oval, UWI Cave Hill pm Monday 13th August featuring a BCA President’s XI which will include two top players from the BDFSP Jameel Stuart and Tevin Walcott. The second match will feature a combined BDF/BDFSP and UWI team. This match will be played at Briar Hall on Tuesday 14th August starting at 0930 AM
Commodore (Cdre) Errington Ricardo Shurland was appointed Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 1 September 2021. He enlisted in the BDF in February 1984 and in a military career spanning over 34 years, has served in various operational and administrative appointments.
Colonel Glyne Grannum joined the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 18 October 1985 and underwent career development training at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, Chilliwack and the Combat Training Centre, Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada. He subsequently attended the Infantry Training Centre and the Signal Wing in Warminster, UK (PCBC and RSO Courses respectively), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy; the Lester Pearson Canadian Peacekeeping Centre, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army People’s Republic of China and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies, National Defence University, Washington. He also attended a Defence Resources Management programme at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Canada. In addition to being a qualified infantry officer, Col Grannum is a qualified Regimental Signals Officer and a former Operations Officer and Finance Officer of the BDF.
Colonel Banfield joined the Barbados Battalion of the South Caribbean Force in 1941 having just left the Cadet Corps at Combermere School, and was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He was a Platoon Commander and a Company Commander during the war and served in Barbados, Dominica (as part of the Gale Force), St Lucia and St Vincent.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael, and was born on the 5 November 1969 and enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force on 16 August 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in August 1997, Corporal in 1999, Sergeant in 2007, Color Sergeant in 2014, Warrant Officer Class Two in 2017 and Warrant Officer Class One in 2020. He was Most Outstanding Student on Junior Leadership Course in 1998, the Most Outstanding Student on Junior Non Commissioned Officer Cadre in Jamaica in 2000, best at Leadership on the Search Adviser Course in Jamaica in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Student on the Warrant Officer Course in Jamaica in 2015.
