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The Chairman welcomed Mr Edward Gardner QC MP and Mr George Wallace MP who by Royal warrants had been appointed members of the Commission and were attending a meeting of the Commission for the first time; The Chairman announced a proposed Change of Membership of the Commission in which the Minister for Housing and Construction should succeed the Minister of Public Building and Works as a member of the Commission, to which the members signified their assent.
Announcement of the death of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore GCB DSO, a member of the Commission for 21 years, and Vice-Chairman from 1954 to 1957.
Announcement of the death of Field Marshal Lord Slim KG GCB GCMG GCVO GBE DSO MC.
Matters Arising from the Minutes of the 502nd Meeting Refers to an amendment to the wording in the second paragraph, page 12 of the Minutes. Reference to a telegram of congratulations sent to Sir Edward and Lady Maufe for their Diamond Wedding. Update on planned maintenance work at Hadra and Chatby War Memorial Cemeteries, Alexandria. Update on the new Head Office building in Maidenhead, including the addition of air conditioning to the building plans and the costs involved. Update on reorganisation in Northern Region. Clarification of a point made on maintenance of stonework. Update on ongoing discussions about rates of pay for United Kingdom based manual staff. Announcement of the appointment of Mr Swan as an Assistant Secretary to the Commission.
Estimates 1971/72 Approval of the revised estimate of Expenditure for the year 1970/71, and approval of the Estimate of Expenditure for 1971/72.
Adoption of the Report of the 543rd Meeting of the Finance Committee Item 2 on the Agenda was the Report of the 543rd Meeting of the Finance Committee. Item 3 concerned the proposal to write off 7,908 French francs which had been paid in respect of the death of three cows after consuming yew clippings from Zouave Valley War Cemetery, Souchez. Item 6 recommended the approval of the expenditure of £5,230, in connection with the regroupment of graves in Zambia. Item 16 was the report of the half-yearly inspection of the Thiepval Memorial.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees: Appointment of Members Commonwealth French Committee: Commonwealth Honorary Member His Excellency Hr Leo Cadieux (Canadian Ambassador in Paris) Commonwealth French Committee: Commonwealth Official Members Commodore L N Mungavin (Pakistan High Commission in London)
War Graves in Zambia (CM 182/5/1) Refers to the approval of the proposal to regroup all Commonwealth war burials in Zambia in a new war graves plot in Ndola (Kasenji) Cemetery, and approval of the design for the said plot by Mr W F Stewart BSc RIBA.
Graves Not Within The Commission’s Control (CM 173/1) Approval of the classification of not within the Commission's control of the 153 war graves enumerated in List No 25 of war graves in the United Kingdom recommended for Classification as "not within the Commission's Control'' submitted by the Secretary and signed by him on each page for identification.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, Essex Approval of the proposal to commemorate three Commonwealth War burials in City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, Essex on the appropriate screen walls in the same cemetery.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Tooting (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, London Approval of the proposal to commemorate six burials of the 1914-1918 War on a small memorial in Tooting (St Nicholas) Churchyard, London, with an explanatory inscription, to be erected in the same Churchyard.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Barrhead (St. John’s) Roman Catholic Church Burial Ground, Neilston, Renfrewshire Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth war burial of the 1914-1918 War in Barrhead (St John's) Roman Catholic Church Burial Ground, Neilston, Renfrewshire on a special memorial headstone to be erected in the Garden of Remembrance at Glasgow (Eastwood) Cemetery.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Stroma Cemetery, Canisbay, Caithness Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth war burial in Stroma Cemetery, Canisbay, Caithness by re-erecting the headstone, with a suitable superscription, in Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery.
Execution of Documents Approval and confirmation of the action taken for the execution by the Commission, or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part 11 64 to 66 referred to in the Schedule laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser & Solicitor.
Reports from Regions, Areas and Agencies: Quarter ended 30 September 1970 Mentions the Chairman said that he could confirm from his visit to Sfax that following serious flooding there, the cemetery had now been fully restored.
Other Business Including an announcement that General Sir John Anderson GBE KCB DSO was attending a Commission meeting for the last time due to his retirement from the Commission, and that in the New Year, the Secretary of State intended to submit to The Queen the name of General Sir Noel Thomas, who was to be the next Master General of the Ordnance, for appointment as a Member of the Commission in succession to General Anderson.
Agreement of the appointment of Professor Heslop Harrison as Honorary Botanical Adviser to the Commission, with Sir George Taylor meanwhile remaining in post to allow Professor Harrison more time to settle in as Director of Kew.
Announcement of the dates of the Finance Committee Meetings in March, June, September and December 1971 which would now be held one day earlier than previously announced.
Note of the date of the next Commission Meeting as 18 March 1971 at 11 a .m.
ATTENDEES: Air Chief Marshall Sir Walter Cheshire GBE KCB (Vice-Chairman of the Commission), in the Chair Colonel C.F. Black CD (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada) Colonel A.D. Watt OBE (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia) Mr I.V. Farrell (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand) Mr P.H. Viljoen (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa) Lieutenant-Colonel J. Sikund (Representing the High Commissioner for India) Mr J.W.T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister for Housing and Construction) General Sir John Anderson GBE KCB DSO Sir Robert Black GCMG OBE Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC Admiral Sir Frank Twiss KCB DSC Mr Edward Gardner QC MP Mr G.D. Wallace MP
SECRETARY Mr W.J. Chalmers CBE (Director-General)
ADVISERS Professor Lord Holford RA FRIBA MTPI DLitt (Honorary Artistic Adviser) Mr H.D. Morgan FCGI MSc (Eng) FICE (Honorary Consulting Engineer) Sir George Taylor DSc FRS FRSE FLS VMH (Honorary Botanical Adviser)
There were also present Mr P.H.M. Swan (Assistant Secretary, Director of External Relations & Records) Mr A.K. Pallot CMG (Assistant Secretary, Director of Finance & Establishments) Brigadier K.F. Daniell CBE BA (Director of Works) Mr H.L. Simmons LL B (Legal Adviser & Solicitor) Mr W.F.W Harding OBE BSc (Hort) FLS (Chief Horticultural Officer) Mr L.J.H. Gibson (Chief Accountant) Mr A.S. Laing MVO (Deputy Establishment Officer) Mr R.J. Dalley |