| Content Note | Topics covered:
Mr Verner Wylie and Major B K Sen
The Chairman welcomed Mr Verner Wylie on his appointment as a Member of the Commission, and Major B. K. Sen, representative of the Indian High Commissioner in London, who was attending a Commission Meeting for the first time.
Visits to War Cemeteries by the Royal Family
Account of the state visit by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to Germany, which included laying a wreath at Berlin War Cemetery; details of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s forthcoming visit to Becklingen War Cemetery.
Semi-Centenary of the Commission – 1967
Proposal to compose a History of the Commission that was to cover its origins, development and activities in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Commission’s establishment.
Matters arising from the 478th Meeting of the Commission
Announcement that The Duke of Gloucester accepted an invitation to attend the Inauguration Ceremony of the Netherlands Field of Honour at Paddington (Mill Hill) Cemetery, and details of his visit to Springvale War Cemetery and the Victorian Garden of Remembrance; announcement regarding a further approach made by the Heads of Mission in Cairo to the Egyptian Government in connection with the proposed removal of Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery and Alexandria (Chatby) War Memorial Cemetery; report on the Commission’s continued attempts to restore the horticulture and maintenance of Jerusalem War Cemetery; report regarding the loss of stores and materials at Ambon War Cemetery; account of the visit by the Australian and New Zealand Pilgrimage and the Canadian Party to Gallipoli.
Report of the 521st Meeting of the Finance Committee
Inspection of the Thiepval Memorial by the Director of Works and Director of Finance and Establishments for the purpose of examining the use of electro-osmosis in the treatment of rising damp; appointment of 16 members of staff to the Permanent Maintenance Staff; expenditure for the provision of the first batch of roadside direction signs for France; expenditure on structural maintenance at Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, which included the replacement faulty headstone beams; proposal to amend the Rules of the 1952 Superannuation Scheme; increases in rates of pay of United Kingdom based non-manual staff in higher grades; appointment of Mr Longworth as Research Assistant in connection with the proposed History of the Commission, Mr Hay as Regional Works Officer for the Eastern Region and Mr Seward as Regional Architect for the Southern Region.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Appointment of Sir Robert Black as Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-French Joint Committee and the Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee; appointment of Mr Verner Wylie as Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee.
Amendments to the Rules of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) in connection with the provisions for the payment of widows’ and children’s benefits.
Marking and maintenance of Commonwealth war graves in the UK – Graves not within the Commission’s Control: Approval of the classification of 780 war graves enumerated in List No. 3 of war graves in the United Kingdom recommended for classification as “not within the Commission’s control”.
4th Meeting of the Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee
Report on the 4th Meeting of the Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee held at the Royal Palace in Brussels on 11th May, which was attended by His Majesty King Baudouin and Air Chief Marshal Arthur Longmore.
Salerno War Cemetery, Italy
Approval of the proposed modifications to the design of Salerno War Cemetery, which included the removal of all paths and some fencing, and simplification of the horticultural plan.
Reports from United Kingdom, Northern, Southern and Eastern Regions, Canadian Agency and Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region for the Quarter Ended 31st March 1965
Report that the remains of seven casualties from the First World War and one from the Second World War had been recovered and reburied in France, and discussion about the identification of remains more generally; account of the Chairman’s visit to Turkey and Greece, with specific reference to the cemeteries and memorials on the Gallipoli Peninsula, Haidar Pasha and Athens, and relations with the Turkish authorities; report on Prince Phillip’s visit to Thailand; comments regarding an article by Mr W. F. W. Harding, Chief Horticultural Officer, which appeared in the Annual Report of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in Canada; announcement concerning the recovery of the remains of two Royal Australian Air Force officers from the jungle in New Guinea.
General Notes
Further details about the Inauguration Ceremony of the Netherlands Field of Honour at Paddington (Mill Hill) Cemetery, which was attended by The Duke of Gloucester and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands; brief account of the Anzac Day Service held in Westminster Abbey and Annual Act of Commemoration at the Runnymede Memorial; account of the ceremonies held in the Northern Region on Anzac Day, VE Day and other anniversaries.
Other Business
The death of Sir Pierson Dixon, former British Ambassador at Paris, was reported; account of the inauguration of the President Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede by Her Majesty The Queen; transfer of the Register Boxes in Cassino War Cemetery from the tempietto to the South Shelter due to the lack of shelter; report on negotiations to include a clause protecting the Commission’s interests concerning Commonwealth war burials in Newton Heath Cemetery within a Bill submitted by the Manchester Corporation to Parliament.
ATTENDEES:
Admiral Sir Guy Grantham GCB CBE DSO (Vice-Chairman of the Commission)
Mr F. C. Boyle (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Mr M. J. C. Templeton (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr D. S. Preller (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Major B. K. Sen (Representing the Ambassador of India)
Lieutenant-Commander S. Haque (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
Mr B. H. J. Lane (Representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore GCB DSO
Sir Arthur Rucker KCMG CB CBE
Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest KBE CB
General Sir John Anderson KCB CBE DSO
Sir Robert Black GCMG OBE
Mr Verner Wylie
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)
Brigadier K. F. Daniell CBE (Director of Works)
Mr H. L. Simmons LLB (Legal Adviser and Solicitor)
Mr W. F. W. Harding OBE BSc (Hort.) (Chief Horticultural Officer)
Mr A. E. V. Shephard |