| Content Note | Topics covered:
The Chairman welcomed General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC who had been appointed a Member of the Commission in succession to General Sir John Anderson.
The Chairman welcomed Mr P.A. Grobbelaar, who had succeeded Mr Viljoen as representative of the Ambassador of South Africa and who was attending a Meeting of the Commission for the first time.
Announcement of the death of Mr H.D. Morgan FCGI MSc(ENG) FICE the Commissions Honorary Consulting Engineer.
Matters Arising from the Minutes of the 503rd Meeting, including an update on reorganisation and the Commission’s new North West Europe Area.
Adoption of the Report of the 544th Meeting of the Finance Committee, including an update on the New Head Office at Maidenhead Project.
Membership of the Finance Committee
Appointment of the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Membership of the Finance Committee for a period of three years from 1 April 1971.
Head Office – Projected New Building on Pearce Hall Site of Maidenhead
Update on projected new building on Pearce Hall Site, Maidenhead, including authorisation to the Finance Committee to consider the recommendations of the Architect and Quantity Surveyors on tenders received for the construction of the new Head Office, Maidenhead, and to accept a tender without further reference to the Commission.
Rangoon War Cemetery, Burma
Update on the request by the Government of Burma that Rangoon War Cemetery be removed, with a proposal that the Participating Governments be informed that the Commission having considered the various exchanges between the British Embassy and the Government of the Union of Burma concerning the Commonwealth war graves in Burma and in particular the request for the removal of the Rangoon War Cemetery, had a number of recommendations.
War Graves in Zanzibar
Approval of the action taken by the Secretary and Director-General on a request by the Zanzibar Government for the removal of 29 Commonwealth war graves from Zanzibar English Cemetery, in authorising the transfer of the remains to Dar es-Salaam War Cemetery.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom, Crookham (Christ Church) Churchyard, Fleet, Hampshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth war burial in Crookham (Christ Church) Churchyard, Fleet, Hampshire by re-erecting the headstone, with a suitable superscription, in the same churchyard.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Ifield (St. Margaret) Churchyard, Crawley, Sussex
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth war burial in Ifield (St Margaret) Churchyard, Crawley, Sussex on a special memorial headstone to be erected in the same churchyard.
Unmaintainable Graves, United Kingdom: Catherington (All Saints) Churchyard, Hampshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth war burial in Catherington (All Saints) Churchyard, Horndean, Hampshire on a special memorial headstone to be erected in the same churchyard.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees: Appointment of Members.
Confirmation of the action taken for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part I 413 to 416 and 418 to 420 and Part 11 67 to 69, referred to in the Schedule laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Resolution that with effect from 1 April 1971 the Area Superintendent for the time being of the North West Europe Area established by the Commission is hereby authorised to sign on behalf of the Commission any instrument, deed, act, stipulation, lease, agreement, contract or other document which may require to be executed by the Commission, but not under its Common Seal, in connection with the discharge of its functions within the Area concerned, as certified by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Reports from Regions, Areas and Agencies: Quarter Ended 31 December 1970.
General Notes
Including a note that at the invitation of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, talks on the Commission and its work had been given to newly appointed Consular Officers during their training course and it was hoped that similar talks would become a regular feature of those courses.
Other Business
Including the reading out to members of a letter from Major-General R.K. Batra who had been prevented by illness from attending the Meeting, which would have been his last before relinquishing his post as Military Adviser to the High Commissioner for India in order to take up his appointment as GOC Maharashtra and Gujarat Area, Bombay.
Note of the date of the next meeting of the Commission on Thursday 17 June at 11 a.m., and a special meeting of the Finance Committee on 6 April.
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 N.V. Farrell (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr P.A. Grobbellaar (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Lieutenant-Colonel J. Sikund (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Commodore L.N. Mungavin (Representing the High Commissioner for Pakistan)
Mr Verner Wylie
Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC
Sir John Winnifrith KCB
Admiral Sir Frank Twiss KCB DSC
Mr Edward Gardner QC MP
Mr G.D. Wallace MP
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC
SECRETARY
Mr W.J. Chalmers CBE (Director-General)
ADVISERS
Professor Lord Holford RA FRIBA MTPI DLitt. (Honorary Artistic Adviser)
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 A.S. Laing MVO (Deputy Establishment Officer)
Mr R.J. Dalley |