In March 1944 he was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for "displaying the highest standard of courage and leadership" and appointed to command the operational airfield at Minneriya in Ceylon.
The 6th Artillery Regiment is also based at Minneriya along with the SLAF base SLAF Hingurakgoda.
The squadron redeployed to Minneriya in Ceylon on 12 October 1944, with detachments at Kankesanturai and Cuttack, and returned to Cuttack—maintaining a detachment at Kankesanterai—in January 1945, where they received the Liberator Mk.VI.