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Circulation, agreement, and signing of the Minutes of the 240th Commission Meeting.
Announcement that the Admiralty had appointed Admiral Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith to attend the meetings of the Commission during the absence on duty of Admiral Sir Howard Kelly. Welcome expressed to Admiral Dunbar-Nasmith.
Temporary Register Of Civilian War Dead
Report that a temporary record listing some 40,000 civilian war dead complete to the end of September 1941, would be ready in May and this list would be made available for consultation by relatives at the Commission’s office at Grosvenor Gardens. A further proposal was fully discussed and unanimously approved.
Review Of The Commission’s Accounts By The Public Accounts Committee
Mentions discussion of the review of the Commission’s accounts by the Public Accounts Committee and that the presentation of these accounts to the Committee was a voluntary act and it was agreed on this understand the present arrangements would be continued pending further consideration at a later and more appropriate time.
Report Of Events Occurred Since The Previous Meeting
Announcement that three changes in the Government affecting the Commission’s membership had been announced on 23 February:
1. Sir James Grigg had succeeded captain Margesson as Secretary of State for War and therefore as Chairman of the Commission.
2. Lord Cranborne had succeeded Lord Moyne as Secretary of State for the Colonies
3. Lord Portal had succeeded Lord Reith as Minister of Works and Buildings and First Commissioner of Works.
Expression of sympathy with the family of the late Earl of Midleton, who had been Chairman of the National Battlefield Memorials Committee, which in 1919 agreed to recognise particular Commission Memorials to the Missing as National Memorials.
Mention that the War Office had now agreed to include Dominion nationals resident in the United Kingdom at the outbreak of hostilities in the provision for separate burials and for purchase of graves.
Ceremonies, attended by British, Australian, Free French and Polish troops and by Italian prisoners, had been held last November at cemeteries in Palestine and Syria.
Reports received through the Foreign Office showed that Mr Sakharoff, Interpreter-Clerk at Salonika, had carried on the maintenance of the British graves of the late war in Greece, since Major Menzies's evacuation, with tact and devotion.
Revision of the leaflet entitled “The Care And Marking Of War Graves”, with copies to be circulated soon.
Information on civilian war dead received from Gibraltar, Malta, Palestine and West Africa, with mention that the Commission were in touch with Colonial Office as to Hong Kong and Malaya.
Mention that there had been a discussion of the proposal to exchange photographs of prisoner-of-war graves which, with the approval of the War Office, would be carried out by the British Red Cross Society.
Wooden Crosses Over Royal Air Force Graves In The United Kingdom
Update concerning withdrawn proposal to add letters “I. H. S.” which originated in a large number of requests from relatives that the crosses over R.A.F. graves should be more plainly marked as such by bearing the R.A.F. crest. It was suggested by Mr Duffy, following further discussion, that the question be deferred and that Sir Frederic Kenyon should suggest some way (if possible) of meeting the Air Ministry’s request without violating the principle of uniformity.
Annual Report Of The Commission, 1940-1941
Resolution for the adoption of the Draft Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the year ending 31 March 1941.
Present War Graves In Eire
Refers to the Paper presented before the Meeting and that the Vice-Chairman and Colonel Chettle mentioned assistance received from the High Commissioner for Ireland and the advantage of Captain Vesper’s parallel negotiations in Dublin. Mentions that the agreement reached was very satisfactory.
Authority For Use Of The Commission’s Seal
Resolution for the affixing of the seal by the Proper Officer to the following documents:
1. Assignment of the Commission’s policy under the Superannuation scheme to Lawrence Stephen Dawson.
2. Assignment of the Commission’s policy under the Superannuation scheme to Edward Stirling.
3. Stock transfer relating to C$800 4 ½ per cent Refunding Loan 1946, purchased compulsorily by H.M. Treasury.
Date Of Next Meeting
It was agreed that the next meeting would be held at 12 noon on Wednesday 13 May 1942.
Attendees:
Major-General Sir Fabian Ware, K.C.V.O., K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G., LL.D. (Vice-Chairman, in the Chair)
Colonel C.E.T. Erskine, C.I.E., D.S.O., M.C. (Representing the Secretary of State for India)
E. MacLeod, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
V.C. Duffy, Esq., M.V.O. (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
C. Knowles, Esq., C.B.E. (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
D.B. Sole, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for South Africa)
J.J. Lawson, Esq., M.P.
Major-General Sir John Kennedy, K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.
Air Marshal Sir William Mitchell, K.C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., A.F.C.
Admiral Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith, V.C., K.C.B.
There were also present:
Lieut.-Colonel Sir Frederic Kenyon, G.B.E., K.C.B., T.D., D.Litt.
Colonel A.R. MacAllan (A.A.G., D.G.R.& E.)
Colonel C.P. Oswald, C.M.G., O.B.E. (Controller)
Lieut.-Colonel R.F. Chettle, C.M.G., O.B.E. (Director of Records)
Lieut.-Colonel F. Higginson, C.M.G. (Director of Works)
F.C. Sillar Esq. (Assistant Secretary, Finance)
Captain H.P.R. Foster
Captain F. Tyrrell, M.B.E.
Lieutenant O.D. Holt |