Rare footage of the Prime Minister of Ceylon, Sir John Kotelawala visiting Rome, Italy in November 1954. Sir John knew Vernon’s father, Reverend Canon Ivan Corea – the two had met in Colombo. 1954 was a very special year for Vernon he married Monica de Silva, a teacher from Uva College Badulla.
Sir John Kotelawala also made a state visit to India in 1954 and met with Pandit Nehru, the Prime Minister of India:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/prime-minister-of-ceylon-in-india/query/PANDIT+NEHRU+VISITS
Both visits to Italy and India were headline news over Radio Ceylon in 1954. We also have some rare footage of the Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala at the famous Bandung Conference in Indonesia in 1955.
View the Getty Images of Sir John attending the Bandung Conference:
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/sir-john-kotelawala-attending-the-bandung-conference-news-photo/50357942
Watch the British Pathe newsreel on the Bandung Conference:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/asian-african-conference-in-bandung/query/Kotelawala
Vernon Corea 1927-2002 