Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

[1] The first headquarters of the force was set up on 11 January 1939 (formally opened on 14 June 1939), just before the outbreak of World War II, at Kochchikade.

Oakley, the Marine superintendent, P & O Lines, and two Paymaster Lieutenants Noel Gratiaen and Susantha de Fonseka were commissioned on 1 January 1938.

A new Headquarters building was built on the east side of the Port Commission Railway lines, in Kochchikade.

In April 1939, Governor Caldecott requested the Admiralty to add the officers to the Navy List, which was accepted.

Following mobilization the Board of Ministers of the State Council set out rates of pay and allowances for members of the Ceylon Defence Force and the CNVF, removing their dependence on their substantive jobs.

During the attack Lt. Simpson moved the armed trawler Overdale Wyke close to HMS Hector which had been hit and ablaze to assist putting out its fires only missing a stick of bombs himself.

In the course of these operations, the ships came under enemy fire, recovered essential information from Imperial Japanese aircraft that were shot down, sailed to Akyab (modern Sittwe) after the Burma front was opened in two FMVs for harbour duties, and were called upon to accept the surrender of the Italian sloop Eritrea and escort her to the Colombo port with a prize crew on board.

With it CRNVR ceased to exist and the Royal Ceylon Navy was formed with a regular and volunteer force.