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The Chairman welcomed Major B. N. Fayta Murti, representative of the High Commissioner for India, and Major Ahmad Shamim Khan, representative of the High Commissioner for Pakistan, who were attending a Commission Meeting for the first time.
The assassination of Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, Prime Minister of South Africa, was reported.
Matters arising from the 483rd Meeting of the Commission
Announcement concerning the appointment of Mr J. Driessen as Secretary for Public Works and Chairman of the South African Agency; report on the restoration and horticultural rehabilitation work at Jerusalem War Cemetery and forthcoming visit of Colonel Griffin, Regional Director to the Southern Region, to photograph the cemetery and make arrangements for the storage of equipment and the departure of staff; account of Sir Robert Black’s visit to cemeteries and memorials in Germany and Belgium, with specific reference to the installation of bronze plaques in cemeteries indicating that the Commission built and maintained their cemeteries; appointment of Miss Joan Woodgate, Matron-in-Chief of Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service, as a Member of the Commission.
Report of the 526th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Appending of the Finance Committee and the Auditors’ certificates to the Accounts of the Commission; report on Emergency Economic Measures adopted by the United Kingdom Prime Minister to reduce government expenditure due to the financial crisis, and measures that the Commission could undertake to limit expenditure; expenditure on the construction of the Halifax Memorial; appointment of two members of staff to the Permanent Maintenance Staff; decision to defer proposals for the permanent floodlighting of the Thiepval Memorial for one year in lieu of the current financial situation; publication of the History of the Commission at the time of the 50th Anniversary of the Commission’s establishment in May 1967; approval of the introduction of revised rates of pay for certain United Kingdom based staff and staff of the Anzac and Canadian Agencies; appending of the Accounts, which included information about Endowment Fund and 1952 Superannuation Scheme, to the Annual Report.
47th Annual Report
Details of the Accounts for 1965/66, which consisted of a Summary of Receipts and Payments and a Statement of Expenditure; details of the expenditure relating to General Purposes (the Commission’s own work); details of expenditure relating to Special and Agency Services carried out on behalf of the Participating Governments.
The Halifax Memorial
Report regarding the proposals to build a new Halifax Memorial, which was to replace the existing First and Second World War Memorials on Citadel Hill and be erected in Point Pleasant Park; details of the estimated costs to construct the new memorial and demolish the existing memorial; description of the proposed design for the new memorial.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Appointment of Mr J. M. Harrington, Counsellor, Canadian Embassy, Tokyo, Mr R. E. B. Peren, Counsellor, New Zealand Embassy, Tokyo, and Dr S. M. Koreshi, Charge d’Affaires, a.i. Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo, as Commonwealth Members, and Mr Harunori Kaya, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Tatauaki Hirai, Ministry of Finance, and Mr Mitsuo Shioda, Yokohama City Government as Japanese Members of the Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Cemeteries in the Manchester Area
Approval of the proposed commemoration of eight Commonwealth war burials in Openshaw (St. Barnabas) Churchyard, eight Commonwealth war burials in Newton Heath (All Saints) Church Cemetery, nine Commonwealth war burials in Eccleston (St. Thomas) Churchyard Extension twelve unmaintainable war graves in Manchester General Cemetery and 17 unmaintainable graves in two other burial places in the Manchester area on the new Screen Wall that was to be erected in Manchester (Phillips Park) Cemetery.
Approval of the classification of the 1,244 war graves enumerated in List No. 8 of war graves in the United Kingdom recommended for classification as “not within the Commission’s control”.
Commemoration of War Burials in the United Kingdom in Graves Classified as not within the Commission’s Control: discussion concerning the alternative commemoration of casualties buried in unmaintainable war graves in the United Kingdom; approval of the proposed commemoration of such casualties as an entry in the Commission’s printed Register rather than by the erection of a commemorative headstone or inscription of the casualty’s name on a collective memorial.
Reports from United Kingdom, Northern, Southern and Eastern Regions, Canadian Agency and Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region for the Quarter Ended 30th June 1966
Account of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh’s visit to cemeteries and memorials in Belgium; details of the “Friendship Meeting and wreath-laying ceremony” between the New Zealand Crete Veterans’ Association and the German Afrika Corps District Munich, and ceremony at Kiel War Cemetery involving Guards of Honour from the Royal Navy and the West German Navy; request by the Tanzanian Government for the Area Superintendent to visit Dar-es-Salaam to view alternative sites for Commonwealth war graves that were to be moved from Dar-es-Salaam (Ocean Road) War Cemetery; report on visitors to Kranji War Cemetery and the horticulture and diverse weather conditions in the Eastern Region; update on the improvement of Veterans’ Plots undertaken by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Commission’s Canadian Agency; report of damages caused by a typhoon at Yokohama War Cemetery.
General notes
Account of Canada Day ceremonies held in the United Kingdom Region; details concerning visits to war cemeteries and memorials by the Canadian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and representatives of the Armed Forces and Veterans’ Organisations, including functions connected with the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and visits to Canadian war graves, cemeteries and memorials in Normandy, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium; proposal by the Canadian Government to hold a ceremony in Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery on 8th December 1966; account of the Chairman’s visit to cemeteries in Denmark, including Aabenraa Cemetery, visit to The Hague to attend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Netherlands War Graves Foundation and inspection of war cemeteries and memorials in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany Areas of the Northern Region; account of the ceremonies organised by the Governments of Canada, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and France in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme; recount of the South African Government’s pilgrimage to the South African National Memorial at Delville Wood Cemetery; report of the visits by Mr Verner Wylie to Florence War Cemetery and Mr Clarke, of Sir William Halcrow and Partners, to Kranji War Cemetery; details of two cuttings from “The Ottawa Journal” relating to the Governor-General laying a wreath at the Ottawa Memorial on the 26th anniversary of the Battle of Britain; account of visit by the Regional Director and Works Maintenance Officer for the Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region to Indonesia in connection with the construction of Ambon War Cemetery; details of forthcoming events, including the Gardeners’ Service at Westminster Abbey scheduled for 11th November 1966.
Other Business
Report regarding the proposed removal of Dar-es-Salaam (Ocean Road) War Cemetery to a satisfactory war cemetery owing to an approved scheme for a new main trunk road and development of Ocean Road.
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 J. Farrell (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr D. S. Preller (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Major B. N. Fatya Murti (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Major Ahmad Shamim Khan (Representing the Ambassador of Pakistan)
Mr T. C. Jerrom (Representing the Secretary of State for the Colonies)
Mr J. W. T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister of Public Building and Works)
Sir Arthur Rucker KCMG CB CBE
Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest KBE CB
Sir Robert Black GCMG OBE
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)
Mr H. D. Morgan MSc (Eng.) MICE (Consulting Engineer)
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 BA (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 |