| Content Note | Topics discussed:
Mention that the Vice-Chairman Admiral Martin Dunbar-Nasmith was ill with influenza and was therefore unable to attend the meeting.
Welcome to Frederic Hudd, Esq. C.B.E. who was attending his first Commission meeting as representative for the High Commissioner for Canada.
Approval and signing of the 355th Commission meeting minutes. Matters arising from the minutes:
a) Announcement of the unveiling of the Lee-on-Solent Fleet Air Arm memorial
b) Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee.
Unveiling of the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial
Mentions that Her Majesty the Queen had consented to unveiling the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial to the Missing on Saturday 17 October 1953.
Vice Chairman’s tour of the Midlands and South-Eastern Regions
Mentions that the Vice-Chairman Admiral Martin Dunbar-Nasmith and Chief Administrative Officer W.K.K. Kinnear had recently completed a tour of the Midlands and South-Eastern Regions, including a visit to the Royal Naval Patrol Service memorial at Lowestoft which was under construction.
Retirement of Mr. A Lewis Watson
Refers to the retirement of Mr. A. Lewis Watson, M.B.E., Secretary-General of the Canadian Agency.
Staff contributions to the King George VI National Memorial Fund and to the Lord Mayor’s National Flood and Tempest Distress Fund
Refers to staff contributions made to the King George VI National Memorial Fund and to the Lord Mayor’s National Flood and Tempest Distress Fund.
Flood damage to the Commission’s work
Summary of reports regarding flood damage affecting the Commission’s work in the East and South-East coasts of the United Kingdom and at Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands where high winds had damaged several headstones.
Theft of bronze plaques from Yokohama War Cemetery
Report of the theft of fourteen bronze plaques from Yokohama War Cemetery, Japan.
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Refers to the allocation of twenty seats to the Commission for the coronation of H.M. The Queen.
Modification of the Commission’s title
Discussion regarding the modification of the Commission’s title and the views of participating governments, particularly India.
Report of the 400th Finance Committee meeting
Item 1 dealt with certain outside works at the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial.
Item 2 dealt with major maintenance work at the Thiepval Memorial, specifically brickwork.
Item 3 referred to an additional contract with Messrs. Saunders of Ipswich.
Item 4 referred to the Superannuation Scheme.
Item 17 referred to the incremental increase in pay for gardeners and other manual workers and a meeting which recently took place relating to this.
Also mentioned are the appointments of Brigadier R.H. Perry, C.B.E., M.C. as successor to Brigadier Obbard in the post of Chief Administrative Officer and Deputy Director of Works, India, Pakistan, and South-East Asia District; and of Colonel E.A. Airy, B.A. as Enquiries and Foreign Relations Officer at Head Office.
33rd Annual Report of the Commission
Discussion regarding drafts and amendments to the report.
Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee
Mention that the minutes of the 1st meeting of the Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee had been read with great interest.
Report of the 25th annual meeting of the South African Agency
Mentions that local stonemasons were difficult to obtain and includes suggestion of using Scottish granite as an alternative to locally sourced stone.
Construction of cemeteries and memorials in West Africa
Refers to the progress of the work for the construction of cemeteries and memorials in West Africa, with note that the majority of the burials were of West African men, with a number of others from Commonwealth countries.
Tirana War Cemetery, Albania
Refers to question about proposal for a memorial to be erected to commemorate those buried at Tirana War Cemetery, Albania
Examination of sketch design for Moro River War Cemetery, Italy.
Examination of sketch design for Kirkee War Cemetery, India.
Progress report for the quarter ended 31 December 1952
Mentions the Commission took note of the paper submitted.
General notes
Mention that the Commission took note of the paper submitted.
Date of next meeting scheduled for Thursday 19 March 1953 at 11:00am.
ATTENDEES:
General Sir Robert Gordon-Finlayson, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., D.L. (In the Chair)
Frederic Hudd, Esq., C.B.E. (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
W.H. Bunning, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Major-General W.B. Stevens, C.B., C.B.E. (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
H.J. Neethling, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for South Africa)
P.N. Haksar, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Captain K.A. Rashid (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
Trafford Smith, Esq., C.M.G. (Representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies)
A.B. Moore, Esq. (Representing the Minister of Works)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore, G.C.B., D.S.O.
Colonel The Rt. Hon. The Lord Wigram G.C.B., G.C.V.O., C.S.I.
Sir Patrick Spens, K.B.E., Q.C., M.P.
General Sir John Crocker, G.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O., M.C.
George Sylvester, Esq., M.P.
ADVISERS:
Edward Maufe, Esq., R.A., F.R.I.B.A. (Chief Architect and Artistic Adviser)
SECRETARY:
F. Higginson, Esq., C.M.G.
Also in attendance:
W.B. England, Esq., M.B.E. (Office of the High Commissioner for India)
E.B. David, Esq. (Colonial Office)
F.C. Sillar, Esq., C.B.E. (Principal Assistant Secretary)
W.J. Chalmers, Esq. (Assistant Secretary)
Brigadier N.E.V. Patterson, O.B.E. (Principal Deputy Director of Works)
H.L. Simmons, Esq. LL.B (Legal Adviser)
O.D. Holt, Esq. (Principal, Secretarial Branch) |