| Content Note | Topics discussed:
Welcome to Mr S.H. Field who was representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Approval, amendment and signature of the 398th Commission meeting minutes – Matters arising out of the minutes:
a) 37th Annual Report of the Commission and accounts
b) Situation in the Middle East
c) Amalgamation of Southern European and Middle Eastern Districts.
New Year Honours
G.C.B. awarded to General Sir Charles Loewen.
K.B.E. awarded to Mr W.S. Kent-Hughes, Chairman of the Commission's Anzac Agency from 1951 to 1955.
M.B.E. awarded to Mr E.H. Bicknell, Senior Clerk, North-West European District, and Mr S.G. Jones, Records Officer, French District.
B.E.M. awarded to Mr F. Pears, Head Gardener, French District.
Report of the 443rd Finance Committee meeting
Item 1: Construction of Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel.
Item 5: Foundations for, and erection of headstones at Khanaqin War Cemetery, Iraq.
Item 6: Construction of a shelter and erection of a Type A Cross of Sacrifice and headstones in the war graves section of Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery, India.
Item 7: Provision of bronze and glass cases to house the Memorial Volumes at the Delhi and Karachi 1939-1945 War Memorials.
Instrument of Agency for the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Resolution for Instrument of Agency for the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Examination of revised sketch design by Louis de Soissons, C.V.O., O.B.E., R.A., Principal Architect for Italy and Greece, for Phaleron War Cemetery and Memorial, Greece.
Examination of sketch design by L.D. Barrett, L.R.I.B.A. for Isiolo Memorial, Kenya.
Examination of sketch design by Gordon Leith for East London (East Bank) Cemetery, South Africa.
Examination of sketch design for Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery, India.
Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
Resolution for the erection of gates to the service plot at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Memorials to the Missing: 1939-1945 War – Land Forces
Summary of the progress of work on the 1939-1945 Memorials to the Missing of the Land Forces.
General notes
Mentions ceremonies in Belgium, including at Blankenberghe Communal Cemetery, as well as the Remembrance Day ceremony at Addis Ababa War Cemetery, Ethiopia.
Anzac Agency
Mentions that the graves cared for by Anzac Agency as a repayment service on behalf of the Australian Government, would outnumber the war graves in Australia, for which the Agency was directly responsible on behalf of the Commission, by about three to one.
Forthcoming events
Refers to the unveiling of the Singapore Memorial by Sir Robert Black on 2 March 1957 and discussion of arrangements in place for the ceremony.
Visit to Uganda and Kenya by Sir Patrick Spens
Mentions Sir Patrick Spens’s forthcoming visit to Uganda and Kenya.
Photographs of war graves in Port of Spain (St. James) Military Cemetery, Trinidad
Mentions that photographs had been received of the Commonwealth war graves in Port of Spain (St. James) Military Cemetery, Trinidad, showing the headstones in position and that the photographs were passed around at the Meeting.
Date of next meeting scheduled for Thursday 21 February 1957 at 11:00am.
ATTENDEES:
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore, G.C.B., D.S.O. (Vice-Chairman in the Chair)
S.D. Pierce, O.B.E. (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
E.J.B. Foxcroft, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
J.G. Hale, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
F.W. Thomashoff, Esq. (Representing the High Commissioner for South Africa)
Lieutenant-Colonel M.M. Singh (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Captain S.M. Akhtar (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
I.B. Watt, Esq. (Representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies)
The Rt. Hon. 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.
Captain Sir Harold Campbell, G.C.V.O., D.S.O., R.N.
Sir Arthur Rucker, K.C.M.G., C.B., C.B.E.
Admiral Sir John Edelsten, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., C.B.E.
General Sir Charles Loewen, G.C.B., K.B.E., D.S.O., A.D.C.
SECRETARY:
W.J. Chalmers, Esq., C.B.E.
ADVISER:
Sir Edward Maufe, R.A. (Chief Architect and Artistic Adviser)
Also in attendance:
W. Wynne Mason, Esq., M.C. (Assistant Secretary (External Relations))
A.K. Pallot, Esq. (Assistant Secretary (Finance and Establishments))
Major-General J.F.D. Steedman, C.B.E., M.C. (Director of Works)
R.I. Mill, Esq. |