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The Chairman welcomed Mr John Farrell, representative of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, who was replacing Mr Templeton and attending a Commission Meeting for the first time.
Matters arising from the 480th Meeting of the Commission
Decision to delay talks between the Commission Embassies in Cairo and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Republic in connection with the proposed removal of Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery and Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery until the return of the Australian Ambassador to Cairo; report on the condition of Jerusalem War Cemetery and arrangements to restore the cemetery to good order; announcement concerning the publication of the 46th Annual Report; brief account of the Gardeners’ Service at Westminster Abbey; comments relating to a specialist firm that was requested to produce a scheme and estimate for the floodlighting of the Thiepval Memorial.
Estimates 1966/67
Approval and details of the Revised Estimate for 1965/66 and Estimate for 1966/67; information concerning the Special Economy Measures adopted to defer some of the work and purchases of the Commission for six months; details of the Commission’s requests for funds from Participating Governments for the year 1966/67, which included expenditure for Head Office and each Region and Agency, staff expenditure, travelling expenses, administrative expenses, horticultural maintenance, structural maintenance and costs relating to Commission premises; estimate for services undertaken by the Commission on an agency basis, such as maintenance of non-military cemeteries, veterans’ graves in Australia and German graves in Commonwealth countries; details of the Commission’s requirements of funds from Participating Governments.
Report of the 523rd Meeting of the Finance Committee
Recommended appointment of three members of staff to the Permanent Maintenance Staff; expenditure on Routine Expenditure on Normal Services during the current year; expenditure on structural maintenance at Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial; expenditure on the regroupment of First World War graves and improvements to the Second World War plot at Rawalpindi Cantonment Cemetery; discussion concerning a Memorandum on the Thiepval Memorial and the measures taken to safeguard the structure against further deterioration.
Endowment Fund
Brief description and history of the Endowment Fund; details of the Trustees inability to increase the income of the Fund and approval from the United Kingdom Government to diversify the investments; discussion concerning changes to the investment policy and opportunities of the Endowment Fund.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Appointment of Monsieur Alfons Vranckx, Ministre de l’Interieur, as Belgian Honorary Member and His Excellency Mr F. S. Steyn, South African Ambassador at Brussels, as Commonwealth Honorary Member of the Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee; appointment of General de Corps d’Armee Malivoire Filhol de Camas, Military Governor of Paris, as French Honorary Member and Colonel Sir Richard Glyn as Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-French Joint Committee; appointment of Brigadier I. C. Katoch, Military Adviser to the High Commissioner for India in London, and Commonwealth Official Member of the Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee; appointment of Rear-Admiral J. B. M. J. Maas, Flag Officer, Personnel, Netherlands Ministry of Defence, as Netherlands Official Member of the Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee.
Marking and maintenance of Commonwealth War Graves in the UK – Graves not within the Commission’s Control: Approval of the classification of the 417 war graves enumerated in List No. 5 of war graves in the United Kingdom recommended for classification as “not within the Commission’s control”.
Faenza War Cemetery, Italy
Discussion concerning the proposed modifications to the design of Faenza War Cemetery, including the replacement of the existing brick paths surrounding four trees in the vicinity of the Cross of Sacrifice with turf and removal of the concrete post and wire fencing at the south-west end of the cemetery; remarks by Sir Edward Maufe’s, Chief Architect and Artistic Adviser for the Commission, regarding the proposed modifications; decision to re-examine and defer the proposed modifications to the cemetery.
Reports from United Kingdom, Northern, Southern and Eastern Regions, Canadian Agency and Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region for the Quarter Ended 30th September 1965
Comments regarding the “Flymo” rotary mower, which had been tested at the Runnymede Memorial; report on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s visit to Becklingen War Cemetery and Mr Michael Stewart’, Foreign Secretary, visit to Krakow War Cemetery; announcement that four gardeners had passed the Royal Horticultural Society’s General Examination and three pupil gardeners had returned from a year’s course at Kew; account of visit by His Majesty King Gustav of Sweden and Princess Margrethe of Denmark to Argenta Cap War Cemetery; announcement concerning the completion of the South Australian Garden of Remembrance and plans for its dedication on 24th October 1966.
General Notes
Account of Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest’s visit to war graves in cemeteries and churchyards in Gloucestershire, Somerset and Devon; comments regarding ceremonies held in the United Kingdom Region during early November; recount of Sir John Anderson’s visit to cemeteries in Aden and the Far East; report of vandalism to the Ottawa Memorial, specifically the removal of the bronze relief of the North Island of New Zealand from the globe.
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 F. C. Boyle (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Mr John Farrell (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr D. S. Preller (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Major V. K. Dandekar (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Lieutenant-Commander S. Haque (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
Mr B. H. J. Lane (Representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies)
Mr J. W. T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister of Public Building and Works)
Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest KBE CB
Mr David Griffiths MP
Mr Verner Wylie
Colonel Sir Richard Glyn, BART OBE TD DL MP
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)
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 |