| Content Note | Topics covered:
Appointment of Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire, successor to Air Marshal Sir Charles Guest, as a Member of the Commission.
The Chairman welcomed Lieutenant-Colonel Albert D. Cilliers, Secretary-Designate of the South African Agency, who was to succeed Major Dan Cilliers as Secretary of the South African Agency.
The death of Mr F. J. Bellenger, former Secretary of State for War and Chairman of the Commission, was reported.
The Chairman welcomed Sir Denis Blundell, who had succeeded Sir Thomas Macdonald as High Commissioner for New Zealand and Member of the Commission.
Queen’s Birthday Honours
Awarding of the BEM to Mr A. V. Pedler, former Driver/Messenger, United Kingdom Region.
Announcement that Sir George Taylor, the Commission’s Honorary Botanical Adviser, was made a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Matters Arising from the 492nd Meeting of the Commission
Progress report on the transfer of war burials from Dar-es-Salaam (Ocean Road) Cemetery to Dar-es-Salaam (Bagamoyo) War Cemetery; report from the Area Superintendent in Nairobi concerning the maintenance of war graves and cemeteries at Aden with specific reference to those at Holkat Bay and Sheikh Othman, Maala Cemetery and Silent Valley Cemetery, and that the Memorial in the Port Authority Hall had been stolen; update on developments relating to the proposed removal of Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery and Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, including attempts to arrange a first negotiating meeting with the United Arab Republic; account of Miss Joan Woodgate’s visit to cemeteries and memorials in the Netherlands and Germany Area of the Northern Region; recount of the Vice-Chairman’s visit to cemeteries and memorials in the Central Area of the United Kingdom Region.
Report of the 533rd Meeting of the Finance Committee
Proposals concerning structural maintenance and modification of the design at Tehran War Cemetery and the Tehran Memorial, with specific reference to the shelter building that was damaged during the previous winter; appointment and promotions to authorised vacancies, including the appointment of Colonel Cilliers as Secretary of the South African Agency, and promotion of Mr Lawless, Mr Penfold and Mr Shephard at Head Office and Mr Talman at Southern Regional Headquarters; report concerning the final audited figures in the Report of Estimated Expenditure.
Membership of the Finance Committee
Appointment of Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire as a Member of the Finance Committee.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Appointment of Herr Ministerialrat Dr Peter Walter, Federal Ministry of Home Affairs, as German Official Member of the Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Trustees’ Powers of Investment: amendment to Clause 9 of the Deed of Trust of the Superannuation Scheme to permit investment by the Trustees in wider-range investments up to 75% of the aggregate amount at cost of the investments.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Amendments to the Rules (ES 42/17): account of previous service members re-admitted to the Scheme, whose earlier service terminated before becoming entitled to superannuation benefits; waiving the required completion of a minimum period of reckonable service for ill-health retirement benefits and death benefits; payments by a member or person who transfers to or from the Scheme equivalent to the contributions shall be made with or without interest as the Trustees approve.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Transfers to and from the Scheme (Es 42/17/17): arrangements between the Commission’s Superannuation Scheme and the schemes for the United Kingdom Police and Fire Services and the British Airports Authority;
Approval of the classification of the 787 war graves enumerated in List No. 15 of war graves in the United Kingdom recommended for classification as “not within the Commission’s control”.
Report on the 5th Meeting of the Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee (CM 13/11/12) Discussion concerning the protection of the cemeteries and their surroundings from local development; report on the signposting of war cemeteries in the Netherlands.
General Notes
Account of the Annual Act of Commemoration at the Runnymede Memorial, which was attended by Sir Robert Black; brief account of the triennial Conference of Horticultural Officers; recount of visit by Mr Cote, Deputy Minister of Veterans’ Affairs in Canada, and Colonel Alan Chambers, representative of the High Commissioner for Canada, to battlefield memorials in France and Belgium; report on the unveiling ceremony at Ambon War Cemetery and the dedication of the Ambon Memorial.
Other Business
Arrangements for the mounting of photographic exhibitions showing the Commission’s work in Australia and New Zealand.
ATTENDEES:
Admiral Sir Guy Grantham GCB CBE DSO (Vice-Chairman of the Commission)
Mr R. M. Miller (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr D. S. Preller (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Major B. N. Satya Murti (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Mr J. W. T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister of Public Building and Works)
General Sir John Anderson GBE KCB DSO
Colonel Sir Richard Glyn BART OBE TD DL MP
Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire GBE KCB
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)
Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Cilliers MC (Secretary-Designate, South African Agency)
Mr A. E. V. Shephard |