Sepala Attygalle

With the outbreak of World War II seeking a King's Commission, he left his studies at the university college to joined as a cadet officer undergoing basic officer training at Diyatalawa. He took the sword of honour at the army passing out parade in 1941 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Ceylon Light Infantry. He thereafter underwent advanced training in India.

After the war, he was demobilized and joined the civil service serving as Assistant Controller of Textiles and Assistant Controller of Exports and Imports.

With the formation of the new Ceylon Army in 1949 following the passing of the Army Act; he joined it and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 1 Battalion, Ceylon Light Infantry as a regular officer, promoted to the rank of captain on the same day he was assigned was as the General Staff Officer - Grade 3 (GSO3), in the Army Headquarters, Ceylon. In 1950 he was appointed as an extra Aide-de-camp (ADC) to Lord Soulbury, the Governor General of Ceylon, succeeding Major Bevis Bawa. He was promoted to rank of major in 1952.

In mid 1952, he attended the Company Commanders' Course at the School of Infantry, Warminster and the Land/Air Warfare Course at the School of Land/Air Warfare. Thereafter he was attached to the 1st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, in Germany; serving with the NATO Forces in Europe. On his return he was re-assigned as a staff officer in the general staff at army headquarters.

In 1953, he relinquished his staff appointment at the army headquarters and left for the United Kingdom to attend the Staff College, Camberley. On completing the staff course, he was seconded to the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. During this time he was appointed Equerry to HM Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation and also served as military liaison officer (military attaché) to the High Commissioner for Ceylon in the United Kingdom. On his return to Ceylon, he took up command of the Echelon Barracks.

On 10 October 1955, Major D.S. Attygalle raised the 1st Reconnaissance (Recce) Squadron as the Cavalry Arm in the Ceylon Army in the lines of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards. On 17 December 1955 a Combined Services Buddhist Mission led by Major Attygalle left for Burma on board HMCyS Vijaya, to represent the Armed Forces of Ceylon at the Buddha Jayanthi commemoration celebrations, and present a gift of a Bodhi tree sapling. In 1958, the recce squadron was expanded to a regiment and Attygalle was appointed as its first commanding officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel. The 1st Reconnaissance Regiment became the core of the Ceylon Armoured Corps.

In 1962, he was promoted to the rank of colonel; he took up command of the Panagoda Cantonment, whilst serving as commanding officer, Ceylon Armoured Corps. Thereafter he became the commander of the Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration in 1963, later the inspector of training, Army Headquarters. He became the Chief of Staff of the army in 1964 after relinquishing command of the Ceylon Armoured Corps and relinquished command of the Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration in 1965.

On 1 October 1967 Brigadier Don S. Attygalle took over as the Acting Commander of the Army after the retirement of Major General B.R. Heyn. Promoted to the rank of major general, he was confirmed as Commander of the Army shortly. Under his leadership the army crushed the 1971 Insurrection within two months, and he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on 4 April 1974, thus being the first officer of the Sri Lanka Army to hold this rank. When he retired on 13 October 1977, after having served for ten years as commander, he was promoted to the rank of general, thus becoming the first Sri Lankan army officer to hold the rank of a four-star general and longest-serving Commander of the Army.

On retirement from the army, he took up appointment as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Chief Co-ordinating Authority in the Ministry of Defence in 1977.

In the early 1980s, with the escalation of the Tamil Militancy, he was appointed as permanent secretary, Ministry of Defence and served as National Defence Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka. He played a major role during the Vadamarachchi Operation until Indian intervention stopped it midway. During this time he was the founding chairman, Air Ports and Aviation Services and chairman of Air Lanka.

In 1990 he was appointed as High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom.

His military funeral in January 2001 was well attended by his family, friends and colleagues who gathered to mourn his loss.

• Attygalle was promoted to the rank of general upon his retirement in 1977.
• He was awarded the title Deshamanya from the Government of Sri Lanka.
• He was a made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order, which was later upgraded to Lieutenant.
• Doctor of Literature (honorary) by the University of Sri Lanka.