| Description | Topics discussed:
Report of the health of the Vice-Chairman suggested he hoped to return in July. Letter of thanks from Colonel Messer’s widow. It was reported that the pilgrimage to Gallipoli had been a great success, and the Turkish authorities had been most helpful. The director of Kew Gardens had visited cemeteries in Salonika and was impressed by the work.
Several ceremonies in Belgium, including the visit to Steenstraate by King Leopold. Number of visitors reported on, including a large number at the Jerusalem War Cemetery. Report on a recent gathering of the Le Câteau Social Club. Officers and men from the “Schleswig-Holstein” had visited German and British graves in Norway and laid a wreath on the British graves. Following a request from the British Empire Service Legion, the “Last Post” would be sounded four times a year at Villers-Bretonneux. A silver bugle had been presented for this. Major Chettle reported on the ceremony for the reopening of Arras Cathedral.
Report Of The 231st Meeting Of The Finance Committee
Proposal to increase Mr Conyngham Greene’s salary and a new post created of junior assistant to the Vice-Chairman. Arrangements for payments in Germany proposed which should save £600 a year.
Anglo-Belgian Mixed Committee
Major Chettle reported on how Monsieur Hymans had not only helped the Dominions achieve their aims with regards to the “jouissance” of the land after the transfer of the land on which the Battle Exploit Memorials are located but had also helped speed up the process to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Lieutenant-Colonel F. Higginson appointed Secretary-General of the Committee. Thanks were expressed to Major-General Bouty on his transfer. He would be replaced by Colonel J. E. J. Michelet.
Graves in South Russia
Lord Browne reported on his conversation with the Ambassador in Moscow. Lord Arthur suggested that he thought it better to erect a memorial at Haidar Pasha so relatives had a memorial – even if not on the site of the graves. Graves in Sebastopol and Yalta were being looked after, but others elsewhere were in an unknown state. Communications via the Soviet Ambassador were unlikely to be advantageous. Graves were accurately recorded, but many had now lost all identification. The cost of sending an officer to look for the graves would be great but could be arranged at some point. After much discussion it was agreed to commemorate all those buried in South Russia and the Caucuses in the Haidar Pasha Cemetery.
Memorials To The Missing – Graves Since Identified
It was agreed not to proceed with the suggestion to mark with an asterisk the names on “missing” memorials of soldiers where the actual grave was subsequently identified. Instead, a list would be added to the register books.
Cemetery And Memorial Registers
It was reported that 931 register parts had now been published. Covering 15,258 Cemeteries and 81 Memorials, containing 1,041,606 names. All registers now complete except those for the Irish Free State, Australia and ‘open’ cemeteries in France and Belgium.
Sir Edgar Bowring raised a question about the Courtrai Memorial, having received a letter from the Commission stating the general condition was satisfactory however, the earth around the memorial was being used as a playground by local children. It was agreed Colonel Robinson would take the matter up with Colonel Higginson.
Attendees:
Lieut.-General Sir George MacDonogh, G.B.E., K.C.B., K.C.M.G, in the Chair
Major-General Sir John Coleridge, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Representing the Secretary of State for India
E. MacLeod, Esq., Representing the High Commissioner for Canada
Major L.E. Beavis, D.S.O., Representing the High Commissioner for Australia
The Hon. Sir Edgar Bowring, High Commissioner for Newfoundland
Admiral Sir Morgan Singer, K.C.B., K.C.V.O.
J.J. Lawson, Esq., M.P.
There were also present:
Colonel Lord Arthur Browne, K.B.E., C.B.
Lieut.-Colonel C.P. Oswald, O.B.E. (Assistant Secretary, Finance)
Lieut.-Colonel H.F. Robinson, C.M.G. (Director of Works)
Major H.F. Chettle, C.M.G., O.B.E., (Director of Records)
F.C. Sillar
F. Tyrrell
B.S. Conyngham Greene |