WonderBook - The latest addition to PS3 Accessories

Wonderbook is an augmented reality book designed for the Playstation 3 console and it is now available for sale. The user holds a physical book-like object and stories come to life as the software displays digital content on the screen using the PlayStation Eye camera.

The first game to utilize the Wonderbook is “The Book of Spells” based on Harry Potter and designed by Sony in collaboration with J. K. Rowling.

Sony's Worldwide Studios also announced that they are working with BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs and Disney on upcoming titles.

My sister, aged 7 really enjoyed this game and I think Harry Potter fans will love this.

If you have played this game or have any comments, please feel free to write.    

Call of Duty - Black Ops II...The Action Continues!

Call of Duty Black Ops II

Now that Halloween and the Remembrance Day are over I want to go back to my favourite topic… Video Games!

Last week we saw the release of the latest installment in one of the most successful video game franchises ever, Call of Duty.

I was fortunate enough to get my copy on the weekend and played it mostly in the multiplayer mode. I too experienced some freezing that many players have commented online. Other than that I think this is an awesome addition to my favourite franchise.

It’s currently priced at $59.99 at most dealers but Toys-R-Us has a sale where you can save 15% if you buy one game or 20% and 25% if you buy two or three games respectively.

Do you enjoy playing Black Ops II? If so please write in your comments.   

Leonard Birchall - The Saviour of Ceylon

 Air Commodore L.J.Birchall CM, OBE, DFC, OOnt, CD

I want to end my series of Remembrance Day related posts with one dedicated to Len Birchall, a Canadian airman who came to be known as the Saviour of Ceylon.

Birchall                                                           (CFpilots.com)

On 4 April 1942, only two days after arriving in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Squadron Leader Leonard Birchall, a native of St. Catharines, Ontario, was flying a PBY Catalina flying boat, patrolling over the Indian ocean off the south of Ceylon. Eight hours into the mission, as he and his crew were about to return to base, ships were spotted on the horizon. Investigation revealed a large Japanese fleet, including five aircraft carriers, heading for Ceylon, which at that time was the base for the Royal Navy’s Eastern Fleet.  Birchall’s crew managed to send out a radio message to Ceylon, but the Catalina was soon shot down by six Japanese Zero fighters from the carrier Hiryu. In spite of the warning, the Easter Sunday Raid went ahead, but the British fleet had largely withdrawn to a secret base in Addu Atoll.  Three of his crewmen were killed in the action and the others, including Birchall, spent the rest of the war as prisoners of war. Birchall was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part in warning Ceylon of the impending Japanese raid.  He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for the role he played as a senior officer in the POW camp, standing up to the brutality of the Japanese guards.

For more details about Birchall, please visit the following sites:

 http://wartimehouses.com/the-homefront/the-armed-forces/air-commodore-leonard-birchall/

 http://www.thestar.com/news/obituary/atog/article/107924--leonard-birchall-89-canadian-war-hero

 http://canadiansrilankanpartnerships.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/leonard-birchall-the-saviour-of-ceylon/

Birchall’s medals are on display at the RCAF Museum in Trenton, Ontario.

For Outstanding Ability and Devotion to Duty

 

Rohan Amerasekera DFC*

Air Vice Marshal Ekanayake Edward (Rohan) Amerasekera DFC and Bar (RCyAF)

Today being Remembrance Day, I want to write about another Amerasekera who had served in World War 2.

Ekanayake Edward Rohan Amerasekera was among the first batch of volunteers from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to join the Royal Air Force (RAF). He served with distinction as a Navigator in the RAF Bomber Command, taking part in 52 operations over enemy territory, mostly over Germany.  My dad has written a lengthy article about him on his website which you can find here:

Rohan Amerasekera was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) twice.

The DFC Citation states "This officer has displayed a high degree of courage and determination in navigating his aircraft to the target and back, often under great difficulties. In November 1943 whilst on a flight to a distant target, the oxygen supply failed early in the sortie. P/O. Amerasekera, though suffering from lack of oxygen and extreme cold continued his duties and the mission was successfully completed. This officer has proved himself to be a navigator of outstanding ability."



DFC and BAR

The Citation to the Bar to the DFC states: "This officer has completed his second tour of operational duty. In December 1944, whilst on route to Essen, his aircraft was engaged by searchlights and heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered causing severe damage to the aircraft. Despite the fact that shell splinters penetrated his compartment, F/O. Amerasekera took evasive action and completed his allotted task. His other targets have included the Ruhr Valley, Chemnitz and Hanover. On all occasions, F/O. Amerasekera has set a fine example by his tenacity and devotion to duty."

Jeeves' crew

After the war, he returned to Ceylon and joined the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) at its inception in 1951. He had the distinction of becoming the first Ceylonese to command the RCyAF, with the rank of Air Vice Marshal.

Rohan Amerasekera’s medals are as follows:

Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star with France & Germany bar, War Medal, Defence Medal, Coronation Medal of Queen Elizabeth II, The Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal and the Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal.

My Grandfather's War Service

 



2nd Lt. D.C.O.T. Ameresekere

This month, where Remembrance Day falls, I thought I’ll write about my grandfather, D.C.O.T. Ameresekere, who served as a young soldier during World War 2.  He had joined the Ceylon Garrison Artillery (CGA) as a Gunner before the war (in 1938) and served throughout the war, rising through the ranks to be commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant in 1945.  The Ceylon Garrison Artillery was part of the Ceylon Defence Force and saw action when the Japanese attacked Ceylon on Easter Sunday 1942. 

He had enlisted in the 1st Coast Regt. CGA (Regt.No. 1763) as a Gunner on 1 Oct 1938. He was mobilised for War Service on 2 Sept 1939 and was appointed Acting Lance Bombardier on 6 June 1942; Lance Bombardier on 26 March 1943; Temporary Bombardier on 1 Nov 1944 and Bombardier on 1 Feb 1945.

He was commissioned in the CGA as a 2^nd Lieutenant (#987) on 28 Oct 1945. He was awarded the Efficiency Medal [Ceylon] on 20 Aug 1948, the War Medal and the Defence Medal. He was posted to the Reserve on 1 Oct 1948 and resigned his commission on 22 Feb 1951.

 
He was also very active in the Boy Scouts movement, St John’s Ambulance Brigade and the Lion’s Club, both in Sri Lanka and here in Canada.

You can find full details about him on my Dad’s website at: www.ceylonmedals.com/dcot.htm

Unfortunately, I never met my grandfather as he passed away a few days before I was born.



CGA Badge                        [MilitaryBadgeCollection.com]

  




Remembrance Day - Lest We Forget

  Since it is November, I thought I will write about Remembrance Day which is also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day. It is observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have died in the line of duty.

Remembrance Day is observed on November 11^th to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month," in accordance with the Armistice.

John McCrae

We are studying about the Great War in our History class this semester so I am a bit more familiar about it than before. The Great War was called the War to end all wars, but that didn’t happen and about 20 years later, in 1939, the world was at war again.

The red remembrance poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by the Canadian poet, physician, artist, author and soldier John McCrae. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.

 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has an excellent website www.cwgc.org where you can search and find details about men and women who died in the service of Britain and the Commonwealth in the two world wars.

Do you have any relatives that fought in the two World Wars?  Please feel free to write your comments.
 

Disney buys Lucasfilm - Good news for Star Wars Fans?

Last week it was announced that Disney was buying Lucasfilm for $4 billion, adding the legendary Star Wars franchise to the entertainment giant's stable of characters. With the sale of Lucasfilm which is 100% owned by founder George Lucas, he will receive 40 million Disney shares from the deal and will be the second-largest non-institutional shareholder of Disney. The 68-year-old Lucas will serve as a creative consultant but plans to retire.

In this publicity photo released by Disney, CEO Robert Iger, left, and George Lucas of Lucasfilm sign the deal Tuesday letting Disney acquire the "Star Wars" studio for about $4 billion.(Photo: Rick Rowell, AP)

 
What does this do for Star Wars fans like me?  Disney plans to make more Star Wars movies, which is good news.  But will they remain true to Lucas' vision?  We'll have to wait and see.

Assassin's Creed III - The Saga Continues...

Today I want to write about the latest installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise which was released on October 30th, 2012. Assassin's Creed III is set during the American Revolution in the late 18th century and it introduces a new main character, Connor Kenway, birth name Ratohnhaké:ton, who is the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars.The advertisements and videos for this game looks awesome. I will definitely get this but first I have to get the other games in this franchise, namely Assassin's Creed - Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed - Revelations. I have already played Assassin's Creed I and II and really enjoyed them. This game is also available bundled with the new 50 GB Playstation 3 Console.  See details below including an excellent review.

Are you a fan of this franchise? If so, which games do you own and what was your favourite game?

These games are like flashbacks of  Desmond Miles' ancestors, which reminds me of a posting done about Deja vu by my friend Carlos on his blog "Life is Golden". He writes some very interesting and thought provoking posts and had included one on Slender Man / Halloween. Please visit his blog at    www.awesomewayoflife.blogspot.com.