| Content Note | Topics covered:
The Chairman welcomed Mr R. M. Miller, who was attending a Commission Meeting for the first time as representative of the High Commissioner for New Zealand.
The death of General Georges P. Vanier, Governor-General of Canada and former representative of the High Commissioner for Canada, was reported.
Announcement concerning the transfer of the functions of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs, and report on the discussions relating to the transfer from Mr H. P. Hall of the Commonwealth Office.
The Chairman informed members that Dr H. G. Luttig was to replace Dr C. P. C. de Wet as Ambassador of South Africa in London.
Visits to War Cemeteries by the Royal Family
Account of visits by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra to Burma and Mr Angus Ogilvy to Taukkyan War Cemetery.
Matters arising from the 485th Meeting of the Commission
Comments regarding the appointment of General Sir John Anderson as Aide-de-Camp General to Her Majesty The Queen; details of the attempt by Mr Will Griffiths, MP, and the Australian Ambassador to discuss the proposed removal of Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery and Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery with the United Arab Republic authorities; report on the construction of the Halifax Memorial and selection of Dr M. F. Goudge, the Commission’s expert adviser for issues encountered with the memorial, as a recipient of an award from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers; agreement with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resume construction at Ambon War Cemetery; request for the provision of funds for 1967/68 from participating governments; approval of the tender for the construction of the Area premises at Heliopolis; report concerning the removal of vandalism from structures and headstones in cemeteries in the Netherlands; report on the restoration of Florence War Cemetery, which had been damaged due to flooding.
Vice-Chairman of the Commission
Extension of Admiral Sir Guy Grantham’s appointment as Vice-Chairman of the Commission for an additional three years.
Report of the 528th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Granting of the usual annual authority to the Secretary and Director-General to appoint and employ staff; appointment of six members of staff to the Permanent Maintenance Staff; approval of Routine Expenditure on Normal Services during 1967/68; details of the expenditure for the rehabilitation work at Jerusalem War Cemetery; recommended expenditure for work at Khanaqin War Cemetery, which included the removal of deteriorated headstones and erection of a simple monument, and for the erection of a memorial in Baghdad (North Gate) Cemetery; agreement with Constable, the Publishers, for the publication of the History of the Commission; expenditure on clothing for United Kingdom based manual staff and locally engaged manual staff in the Northern Region; provisions for the vehicle replacement programme for 1967/68; annual authority for the employment and payment of the establishment staff; increases in pay of United Kingdom based manual staff; revision of the salary of scale of the Secretary-General of the Canadian Agency.
Membership of the Finance Committee
Appointment of the High Commissioner for Australia as a Member of the Finance Committee.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Appointment of His Excellency Evelyn Shuckburgh, United Kingdom Ambassador at Rome, as Commonwealth Honorary Member, and Dottore Roberto Riccardi, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Generale di Corpo d’Armata Emilian Scotti, Commissariato Generale Onoranza Cadutti in Guerra, as Italian Official Members of the Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee.
Approval of the classification of the 1,685 war graves enumerated in List No. 10 of war graves in the United Kingdom recommended for classification as “not within the Commission’s control”.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Lawley (St. John) Churchyard, Shropshire
Approval of the proposed commemoration of one Commonwealth war burial in Lawley (St. John) Churchyard on a special memorial headstone, bearing a suitable superscription, that was to be erected within the Second World War plot in Shrewsbury General Cemetery.
War Graves in Guyana
Approval of the proposed commemoration of 18 Commonwealth war burials located in six burial grounds in Guyana on a new memorial that was to be constructed at Atkinson Field Military Cemetery.
Execution of Documents by the Commission or on its Behalf: approval of the proposed extension of the lease contract for the Commission’s offices in Delhi.
Mechanisation of horticultural maintenance in war cemeteries
Report on the mechanisation of horticultural maintenance in war cemeteries, including details about the cost of the equipment, the effectiveness of the machines to clean headstones and the Commission’s relationship with manufacturing firms.
Reports from United Kingdom, Northern, Southern and Eastern Regions, Canadian Agency and Anzac Agency for the Pacific Region for the Quarter Ended 31st December 1966
Account of the recovery of the remains of four British and one New Zealand airmen of the Second World War found in the wreck of a bomber in the Netherlands; report of ceremonies held at Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery and Yokohama War Cemetery by the pilgrimage of the Hong Kong Veterans’ Association of Canada; account of the Service of Dedication of the Western Australian Garden of Remembrance at Perth.
General Notes
Details of the ceremonies arranged by the Canadian Government at the Vimy Memorial and the Ottawa National War Memorial to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy; details of forthcoming events in 1967, including a photographic exhibition at the Imperial War Museum and conference to mark the 50th anniversary of the Commission, a joint British, Canadian and French ceremony at Dieppe and the 50th anniversary ceremony at Passchendaele.
Other Business
Progress report on the construction at La Reunion War Cemetery, Ambon War Cemetery and Memorial, Khanaqin War Cemetery, Mosul War Cemetery, the Basra Cremation Memorial and Kaduna Memorial; account of Mr Verner Wylie’s visit to Johannesburg (West Park) Cemetery and Cape Town (Maitland) Cemetery, with details about the arrangements for their future maintenance.
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 R. M. Miller (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 High Commissioner for Pakistan)
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
Mr David Griffiths MP
Mr Verner Wylie
Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC
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)
Mr H. L. Simmons LLB (Legal Adviser and Solicitor)
Mr W. F. W. Harding OBE BSc (Hort.) (Chief Horticultural Officer)
Mr W. H. Dukes (Staff Officer, Works)
Mr A. E. V. Shephard |