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The Chairman welcomed Lieutenant-General Sir John Anderson on his appointment to the Commission.
Matters Arising from the 470th Meeting of the Commission
Announcement that the agreement to include a suitable clause protecting the Commission’s interests in the Bath Corporation Bill received the Royal Assent; negotiations concerning the tender price for maintenance of the Thiepval Memorial; proposal regarding the erection a small semi-recumbent tablet with an explanatory inscription to commemorate seven war burials in Tideswell (St. John the Baptist) Churchyard; announcement regarding the completion of construction at Tehran War Cemetery, Fredrikstad Military Cemetery, Kviberg Cemetery, Damascus War Cemetery and Jakarta War Cemetery.
Report of the 513th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Appointment of Brigadier K. F. Daniell to succeed Major-General J. F. D. Steedman as Director of Works; matters connected with the 1952 Superannuation Scheme; recommendation from the Finance Committee that no increases in contributions be introduced to the 1952 Superannuation Fund; details of the proposed alterations and expenditure on construction at Baghdad (North Gate) Cemetery; expenditure for the provision of a water supply at Bari War Cemetery; expenditure on the construction of quarters for the group caretaker and two gardeners at Basra War Cemetery; expenditure on the repositioning of the caretaker’s quarters at Chungkai War Cemetery; expenditure on structural maintenance at Berlin War Cemetery, which included the replacement of the roof, copings and cornices of the entrance feature; expenditure on the provision of a new water supply at Massicault War Cemetery; expenditure relating to renovations of the naval plot at Dido Valley Cemetery.
Membership of the Finance Committee
Appointment of Lieutenant-General Sir John Anderson as a Member of the Finance Committee.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Appointment of Admiral Sir Guy Grantham as Commonwealth Official Member and Monsieur Max Querrien, Directeur-General de l’Architecture, Ministere d’Etat, Affaires Culturelles, as French Official Member of the Commonwealth-French Joint Committee; appointment of Admiral Sir Guy Grantham as Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee; appointment of Sir Roderick Barclay, United Kingdom Ambassador in Brussels, as Commonwealth Honorary Member and Lieutenant-General Sir John Anderson and Colonel Alan Chambers, Attache (Veterans Affairs) Canadian High Commission, London, as Commonwealth Official Members of the Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee; appointment of Admiral Sir Guy Grantham as Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee; appointment of Lieutenant-General Sir John Anderson as Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee; appointment of Mr A. B. Jamieson, Counsellor, Australian Embassy, Tokyo, as Commonwealth Member of the Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee.
Authorisation for the Trustees of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) to make modifications, alterations or additions to the Rules of the Scheme in order to conform with requirements relating to the non-participating employment in the United Kingdom of Members of the Scheme in accordance with the National Insurance Acts, 1959 and 1963.
Resolution authorising the Commission to make arrangements for interchangeability between the Superannuation Scheme (1952) and Teachers’ Superannuation.
Execution of Documents by the Commission or on its Behalf
Discussion concerning arrangements with the Trustees of the Division’s War Memorial Trust Fund and investment of the Endowment Fund and other monies for the maintenance of memorials; proposals regarding the future maintenance of individual monuments.
Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq – Maintenance and Modifications to Design
Approval of the proposed design for further alterations to Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, which included a new horticultural plan involving minor structural changes in the cemetery’s design, and construction of a group caretaker’s quarters.
Basra Indian Forces War Cemetery, Iraq, Southern Region – Re-design of Cremation Memorials
Approval of the proposed modifications to the design for the Cremation Memorials at Basra Indian Forces War Cemetery, which included inscribing the names on larger, thinner panels in order to reduce the number of joints.
Joyce Green Cemetery, Dartford, Kent
Approval of the proposed commemoration of two Commonwealth war burials in Joyce Green Cemetery, Dartford, on the existing Screen Wall memorial in Gravesend Cemetery owing to repeated damage to the cemetery by vandals.
44th Annual Report of the Commission
Adoption of the draft of the 44th Annual Report of the Commission.
Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee: Seventh Meeting
Arrangements for the 7th Meeting of the Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee scheduled for 18th June 1963.
Reports from United Kingdom, Northern, Southern and Eastern Regions, Canadian Agency and Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region for the Quarter Ended 30th June 1963
Update on the construction of the German cemetery at Cannock Chase; report on horticultural losses in the Northern Region; announcement regarding the recovery 16 First World War casualties in the Northern Region; account of the Governor of Malta’s inspection of war graves in Malta; report on horticultural losses in Italy as a result of a hard winter.
General Notes
Account of visit by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur and Lady Longmore to war cemeteries in France; details of visit by Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest to war cemeteries in Northern France, with specific reference to 50 mobile groups carrying out maintenance in the Northern Region and the advantages of using mechanical equipment; account of visit by the Chairman to war cemeteries in the Northern Region, including the Normandy Area, Northern France, Belgium and Holland, and attendance at the Annual Reunion and Flower Show at Arras; announcement regarding the completed construction of the Addu Atoll Memorial; report of a letter sent to The Times by Sir John Elliot, Chairman of Thomas Cook and Son Ltd., which contained a tribute to the Commission’s work; announcement concerning the forthcoming Gardeners’ Service that was to be held in Westminster Abbey.
Other Business
The death of Sir Hubert Worthington, former Principal Architect for the Commission, was reported; announcement regarding the proposed change of Chairmanship of the Commission.
Tours by Head Office Officials
Account of tour by Major-General Steedman, Director of Works, to the East Africa Area, which included meeting with the Agencies of Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika, interviews with local officials, inspection of the condition of war cemeteries located in each country and considerations to send additional staff to explain to African officials the Commission’s requirements for maintenance; report of Mr Wynne Mason’s, Director of External Relations, visit to Jerusalem War Cemetery with information concerning the condition and continued difficulties to carry out maintenance and horticultural rehabilitation work.
The Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Removal of the Memorial Register and Visitors’ Book as a result of damage caused by vandals.
ATTENDEES:
Admiral Sir Guy Grantham GCB CBE DSO (Vice-Chairman of the Commission)
Colonel Alan Chambers DSO OBE (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Mr R. L. Jermyn (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr F. W. Thomashoff (Representing the High Commissioner for South Africa)
Major Bashir Ahmad (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
Mr J. W. T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister of Public Building and Works)
The Rt. Hon. Lord Spens KBE
Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest KBE CB
Sir John Hogg TD
Mr David Griffiths MP
Lieutenant-General Sir John Anderson KCB CBE DSO
SECRETARY
Mr W. J. Chalmers CBE (Director-General)
ADVISER
Sir Edward Maufe RA FRIBA (Chief Architect and Artistic Adviser)
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)
Major-General J. F. D. Steedman CBE MC (Director of Works)
Mr H. L. Simmons LLB (Legal Adviser and Solicitor)
Mr T. A. E. Gibson |