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Matters arising from the Minutes of the 444th Meeting
Announcement that Dr Hilgard Muller had assumed office as High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa and become a member of the Commission; agreement by the Government of Tanganyika to the proposed arrangements for the maintenance of Commonwealth war graves, cemeteries and memorials in Tanganyika.
Appointment of Mr T. L. Macdonald as New Zealand High Commissioner in London.
Account of the Secretary’s tour of Africa, including: visit to Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ladysmith, Pietermaritzburg, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Kimberley and Bloemfontein in South Africa to inspect and meet with the various levels of authorities maintaining the war graves; visit to war graves in Bulawayo, Salisbury, Lusaka, Ndola, Blantyre, Limbe and Zomba in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and meeting with the Commission’s Agent, local authorities and representatives of the British Empire Service League; visit to cemeteries in Nairobi and Kenya, and at Thika, Nyeria and Nanyuki; visit to Khartoum War Cemetery with update on the progress of the concentration of graves located throughout Sudan.
Announcement regarding the forthcoming visit by the Director of External Relations and Records to Pakistan, India, Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand.
Report of the 489th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Recommended expenditure on the concentration of war graves in Indonesia, which only covered the cost of removal of the graves; expenditure for the proposed concentration of war graves in Iran to and erection of headstones in Tehran War Cemetery; write-off of money stolen from the office of the Region Headquarters, Southern Region; seven appointments to the Permanent Maintenance Staff; provision of stone for maintenance work to be carried out in cemeteries at Gallipoli; expenditure on the installation of a filter, water softener and supplementary electric pump for the pool forming part of the Cassino Memorial; construction of Digboi War Cemetery, including the Caretaker’s Quarters; expenditure relating to the construction of an approach road to Nairobi War Cemetery and the East Africa Memorial.
Discussion and approval of the proposed removal of Commonwealth war graves from Makassar War Cemetery to Ambon War Cemetery and from Jakarta (Antjol) Dutch War Cemetery, Medan Dutch War Cemetery, Palembang Dutch War Cemetery, Sourabaya (Kembang-Koening) Dutch War Cemetery and Muntok Dutch War Cemetery to a new Commonwealth war cemetery to be established at Jakarta.
Discussion concerning the permanent commemoration of Commonwealth war dead in Iran and approval for the proposed removal and concentration of all war burials in Iran to a new war cemetery in the British Embassy residential compound at Gulhak, Tehran, as well as the erection of a memorial commemorating those who have no known grave.
Financial arrangements for the maintenance of the 2nd Corps Units Memorial at Le Cateau, France.
Acquisition of a site owned by the Staffordshire County Council for the new German war cemetery at Cannock Chase, which was to be completed on behalf of the Commission by William John Chalmers, Secretary and Director-General.
Progress Report and Reports from the United Kingdom, Northern, Southern and Eastern Regions, Canadian Agency and Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region for the Quarter ended 31st December 1960.
General Notes
Details about a ceremony held at Portsmouth (Kingston) Cemetery on 22nd January; report on the showing of the Commission’s film and the number of visitors to cemeteries and memorials in the Regions.
ATTENDEES:
General Sir John Crocker GCB KBE DSO MC (Vice-Chairman of the Commission)
Mr H. F. Clark (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Air Vice-Marshal A. M. Murdoch CB CBE (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Mr R. L. Jermyn (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr F. W. Thomashoff (Representing the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa)
Lieutenant-Colonel A. K. Sahukar (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Brigadier Irshad Ahmad Khan (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
Mr J. H. H. Vaughn (Representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies)
Mr J. W. T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister of Works)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore GCB DSO
The Rt. Hon. Lord Spens KBE
Admiral Sir John Edelsten GCB GCVO CBE
Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest KBE CB
SECRETARY
Mr W. J. Chalmers CBE (Director-General)
Also in attendance:
Mr W. Wynne Mason MC ((Assistant Secretary) Director of External Relations and Records)
Mr A. K. Pallot ((Assistant Secretary) Director of Finance and Establishments)
Mr H. L. Simmons LLB (Legal Adviser and Solicitor)
Mr D. H. Lloyd ARICS (Deputy Director of Works)
Mr W. F. W. Harding OBE BSc (Chief Horticultural Officer)
Mr A. S. Laing MVO
Mr P. J. Cook |