The White Ensign of Britain's Royal Navy, which had flown for 162 triumphant years over the vast Trincomalee naval station on Ceylon's east coast, came fluttering down its flagstaff for the last time. In its place, proud Ceylonese raised the Golden Lion of Ceylon's own navy. In the harbor, Her Majesty's cruiser Ceylon, the 8,781-ton flagship of Britain's once-mighty East Indies squadron, paused momentarily to exchange naval courtesies with the inward-bound Vijaya, a hastily reconditioned 13-year-old British minesweeper, which is the only "capital" ship of Ceylon's own eight-vessel navy (also one gunboat, six patrol boats). "This step," said...
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