 He also served as the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence, and as Security Adviser to President J. R. Jayewardene.Born on 4 August 1907 in Matara to Candauda Arachchige Odiris de Silva and Nonahami Nanayakkara from Dangedara, Galle.His father was a wealthy oil mill owner and a prominent philanthropist having founded Rahula College and Sujatha Vidyalaya.