| Content Note | Subjects covered:
minutes of previous meeting, with Mr Waterfield submitting amendments to the statements reported as made by him at the previous meeting, which were agreed, entered and signed by General Ware. Mr Waterfield went on to inform the meeting that he had recently been assigned by the Treasury for duty in Paris and that as a result he would have to relinquish his duties with the Commission, but that he would continue to attempt to resolve outstanding issue with regards to the salaries of Commission staff
consideration of letter from the Treasury regarding the Commission’s proposal to indemnify relatives of war dead for the cost of removing private memorials from graves in France and Belgium and returning them to cemeteries or churchyards in the United Kingdom, with discussion around the issue, noting the strong feeling that the matter would engender in relatives, with resolution that the mater should be referred to the Commission for a decision
consideration of a report from the Director of Works regarding the construction of Padova Cemetery, Italy, with resolution that the contract be put out to selective tender to the six firms who had previously provided the lowest tenders for other cemetery construction work in Italy
consideration of the question of writing off of stores which had been destroyed in a fire at No.12 Hanger, St Omer Aerodrome Stores Depot, Longuenesse, with resolution that the value of the stores lost be written off and that a letter should be sent to the Treasury to seek their concurrence
consideration of report from the Director of Works regarding a design, approved by Sir Frederic Kenyon, for the erection of a War Cross at “Soldiers Corner” St. Albans City Cemetery, including comment that the St. Albans Council were taking on the horticultural work associated with the war graves, with resolution that the Commission recommended that the contract be put out to selected tender, at the discretion of the Director of Works, provided no less than six firms were invited to tender
consideration of a form of tender and conditions of contract for the supply of materials for the Commission which had been drafted by the Legal Advisor, with recommendation that the Commission adopt the forms
consideration of the Director of Works proposals regarding the letting of contracts for the manufacture of 35 bronze swords for war crosses, with note that Colonel Durham, as Director of Works, together with Sir Reginald Blomfield, had made the selection of the eight firms which they wished to approach to tender, and comment that all of those firms, with one exception, were located in London, with resolution that the Commission recommended that the contract be put out to selected tender, at the discretion of the Director of Works, provided no less than eight firms were invited to tender
Attendees:
Major General Fabian Ware, CB, CMG (Chairman)
Sir William Garstin, GCMG
Mr A. P. Waterfield, Esq, (representing the Treasury)
Lt. Colonel H. Ellissen (Secretary)
Also present
Lt. Colonel F. R. Durham, OBE, MC (Director of Works)
Additional documents include:
agenda, resolutions, report and handwritten minutes and minute notes of the 12th meeting of the Finance Committee, 10th December 1919
copy of report by the Director of Works concerning the construction work to be carried out in St. Albans Cemetery, with details of costs involved, explanation as to why the contract work was to be split into two parts (the war cross could be erected immediately, but the headstones could not as comprehensive reports had not yet been received of verified), and suggestion that as the size of the contract was small it would not make sense to go to public tender but to approach selected reputable firms, with list of 9 suggested firms, 5th December 1919 (4 copies)
copy of letter from Director of Works requesting authorisation to undertake a selective tender for the manufacture of 35 bronze swords for war crosses in France and Belgium, with list of eight firms to be approached, 5th December 1919 (4 copies)
various copy letters and reports concerning the issue surrounding the costs of returning private memorials erected on war graves in France and Belgium to next-of-kin in the United Kingdom, including report by Col. Durham, Director of Works, on the case of the private memorial originally erected over the grave of Staff Nurse P. Pearse, QAIMNS, at St. Marie Le Havre and the difficultly in obtaining a fixed costs for any return due to the variances in the location, size , weight of such private memorials and their different final destinations in the UK, 17th November 1919; example of letter drafted by the Vice-Chairman and sent to the next-of-kin of Private H. Cameron, buried in Le Treport Cemetery, whose grave had originally been marked with a private memorial, with request for the Commission to be given permission to remove the memorial to erect a standard headstone, and commitment to return the private memorial to the family if they wished, 17th May 1919; copy letter from Mr. L. F. Pearse, the father of Staff Nurse P. Pearse, to Major Stopford, Graves Registration Commission, requesting that her private memorial be returned to his address in South Norwood, 19th October 1919; letter from Major Stopford to Col. Durham concerning the memorial, and advising that it had been removed, on the instructions of Colonel Messer and Major Brown, as it was so large it interfered with the path and graves on either side, 3rd November 1919, letter from the IWGC to the Treasury seeking agreement that the costs of removing such private memorials be defrayed from the Commissions funds and that a sum be set aside for the purpose, 18th November 1919, and reply from G. L. Barstow of the Treasury advising that they are reluctant to sanction the use of public funds for such a purpose and requesting the Commission give further consideration to the possibility of the next-of-kin to bear the costs of such removals, 29th November 1919. (3 copies)
copy letter from Captain A.M. Winder, Architect, to Col. Lowry, Inspector of Works, regarding the constructional work to take place in Padova Cemetery, 17th November 1919; and copy of report by the Director of Works concerning the work, with details of costs involved, suggestion that as the size of the contract was small it would not make sense to go to public tender but to approach the six firms who previously tendered lowest for the construction of other cemeteries in Italy, and list of the 6 firms, 1st December 1919 (3 copies)
copy of blank Imperial War Graves Commission Forms of Tender and Conditions of Contract (2 copies) |