| Content Note | Topics covered:
His Excellency Mr Apa B Pant
Report that the Secretary and the Director of External Relations had called on Mr Apa Pant High Commissioner for India, to thank him for his interest while a Member of the Commission and wish him well in his new post as Ambassador in Rome, where he would be a member of the Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee; Report that the Chairman and the Secretary had called on
His Excellency Dr Carel de Wet
Dr Carel de Wet, the new South African Ambassador in London, to welcome him as a Member of the Commission for the second time.
The Right Honourable Paul Channon MP
Announcement that Mr Paul Channon had succeeded Mr Julian Amery as Minister for Housing and Construction and as a member of the Commission.
The Honourable Daniel J Macdonald PC MP
Announcement that the Honourable Daniel J McDonald PC MP has succeeded Mr Arthur Laing as Minister of Veterans' Affairs and the Commission's Agency in Canada.
Anzac Agency of the Commission for Pacific Region
Announcement that the Chairman had written a letter of thanks to the former Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts in the Australian Government, Mr Peter Howson, who had also been the Anzac Agency of the Commission for the Pacific Region.
Sir Eugen Millington-Drake
Announcement of the death of Sir Eugen Millington-Drake former British Minister at Montevideo at the time of the Battle of the River Plate, and the donor of the land for the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede.
Matters Arising from the Minutes of the 510th Meeting
Update on the New Head Office Building in Maidenhead and Reorganisation.
Update on Pakistan's Membership of the Commission.
Report that there had been no developments on the Tripoli War Cemetery and proposed Commonwealth- Libyan War Graves Agreement.
Update on proposed Turkish Memorial Park on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Update on Cairo War Memorial Cemetery.
Vice-Chairman of the Commission
Announcement that the appointment of Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire GBE KCB as Vice-Chairman of the Commission is extended for one year from 1st April 1973 to 31st March 1974.
Estimates for 1973-1974
Report from Mr Pallot on the Annual Estimates of Expenditure for 1973/74, which had been affected by the devaluation of the pound and approval of the Revised Estimate of Expenditure for the year 1972/73 and of that for the year 1973/74.
Adoption of the Report of the 552nd Meeting of the Finance Committee
Including updates on the supply of 400 inscribed Portland headstones, the small memorial to be erected in Northampton Cemetery, re-facing work at the Thiepval Memorial, approval of pay increases for United Kingdom based manual staff and staff of the Anzac Agency, and proposed pension increases.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees: Appointment of Members
Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr I L G Stewart (New Zealand Ambassador, Brussels)
Commonwealth-French Joint Committee:
His Excellency Sir Edward Tomkins KCMG CVO (British Ambassador, Paris)
His Excellency Monsieur Jacques de Beaumarchais (French Ambassador, London)
Monsieur Alain Bacquet (Ministere des Affaires Culturelles)
Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr Apa B Pant (Indian Ambassador, Rome)
Dr Paolo Torella di Romagnano (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee:
Mr Kinya Katsukawa (Ministry of Finance)
Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr E J W Barnes MBE (British Ambassador, The Hague)
His Excellency Mr Thomas Carter MC (Canadian Ambassador, The Hague)
Graves not Within the Commission’s Control – United Kingdom
Approval of the classification as not within the Commission's control of the 92 war graves enumerated in Supplementary List No 4 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: Dawley Parva (St. Luke) Churchyard, Shropshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate two Commonwealth war burials of the 1914-1918 War in Dawley Parva (St Luke) Churchyard, Shropshire by the erection of special memorial headstones in the plot of 1939-1945 War graves in Shrewsbury General Cemetery.
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Newport Cemetery, Shropshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 13 Commonwealth War burials, 11 of the 1914-1918 War and 2 of the 1939-1945 War in Newport Cemetery, Shropshire on special memorial headstones with a small commemorative stone on a suitable site in the same cemetery.
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Felixstowe (Walton) Cemetery, Suffolk
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 25 Commonwealth war burials of the 1914-1918 War in Felixstowe (Walton) Cemetery, Suffolk on special memorial headstones, with a small commemorative stone, on a suitable site in the same cemetery.
Unmaintainable Graves, Phillipines: San Pedro Macati Cemetery, Manila
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth War burial of the 1914-1918 War in San Pedro Macati Protestant Cemetery, Manila on a special memorial headstone to be erected in Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery, Gosport.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952)
Approval of amendments to the rules of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) including a provision that time served in the armed forces of the Crown would become reckonable service for the scheme, and where a Member has given written notice to the Commission which has not subsequently been withdrawn the Commission shall in the event of death in service of that Member pay to his widow or her widower as the case may be any single payment gratuity or gratuities payable in accordance with the Schedule upon such death in lieu of payment thereof to the Legal Personal Representatives of that Member.
Execution of Documents (CM 210/4/1/LC)
Approval and confirmation of the action for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part I 457 to 461 and 464 and Part 11 86 and 88 referred to in the Schedule laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser & Solicitor.
Reports from the Regions, Areas and Agencies: Quarter ended 30 September 1972
Reference to the report presented to all members which showed the continued public interest in the cemeteries and memorials, and the hard work of the staff to maintain good standards of maintenance.
General Notes
A note that the visit by The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Belgrade War Cemetery had gone off successfully, and that the Chairman had found the cemeteries in Athens, Lebanon and Cyprus in good order.
Report from Sir Robert Black on his visit with Miss Woodgate to the Netherlands where they found the cemeteries in very good order, and one point of concern had been raised with the Director-General for the provision of a supplementary register of Poles and other foreign nationals buried in the Commission's cemeteries.
Report from Mr Wallace on his recent visit to West Africa to Fajara War Cemetery in the Gambia, and to Sierra Leone.
Report from Colonel Black on his visit to cemeteries of Canadian interest in Italy and Sicily, which he had found to be excellently maintained, despite some water supply problems.
Report from General Thomas of his visits to Cologne Southern Cemetery and two cemeteries in Belgium, Brussels Town Cemetery and Heverlee War Cemetery, Louvain.
Report from Mr Wallace on an organised visit to Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Burma by a party of ex-Prisoners-of-War from his constituency, Norwich.
Other Business
Including an update on taxation in France, where the French Government had agreed that as a special privilege the Commission’s activities in France which were related to its functions and financed by the Participating Governments would be except from VAT.
Update on floodlighting at the Halifax Memorial, where it had been reported that the Royal Canadian Naval Association would be unable to continue to pay the cost of floodlighting, but public subscription had brought in enough to pay for one further year and the Commission had recently heard that the Department of Veterans' Affairs had agreed to absorb the annual cost in its budget.
Update on vandalism at the Liverpool Memorial, where coping stones had been prised off and thrown into the River Mersey and graffiti had been spray-painted on the inside walls.
Arrangements for the Meeting of the Commission, Ceremony of Inauguration and Reception on 20 March 1973.
Venue of Future Meetings of Commission and Finance Committee
Discussion on proposal to hold future Meetings of the Commission and Finance Committee in the New Head Office at Maidenhead.
Mr N V Farrell
Announcement that this would be Mr N V Farrell's last meeting before returning to New Zealand, and thanks extended for the keen interest he had taken in the work of the Commission as representative of the New Zealand High Commissioner both on the Finance Committee and on the Commission.
Lt-Col J Sikund
Announcement that Colonel Sikund who had represented the High Commissioner for India at many of the Commission's meetings since 1969, was also leaving London.
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. Grobbelaar (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Colonel R. Sarin (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Mr J.W.T. Pritchard (Representing the Minister for Housing and Construction)
Sir Robert Black GCMG OBE
Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC
Sir John Winnifrith KCB
Admiral Sir Frank Twiss KCB DSC
Mr G.D. Wallace MP
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC
SECRETARY:
Mr W.J. Chalmers CBE (Director-General)
There were also present:
Mr A.K. Pallot CMG (Assistant Secretary, Director of Finance & Establishments)
Mr P.H.M. Swan (Assistant Secretary, Director of External Relations and Records)
Mr P.R. Matthew BA (Legal Adviser & Solicitor)
Mr W.H. Dukes (Director of Works)
Mr W.F.W. Harding OBE BSc (Hort) FLS (Director of Horticulture)
Mr M.J.W. Taylor FCA, (Chief Accountant)
Mr A.S. Laing MVO (Deputy Establishment Officer)
Mr F. Cole MBE (Chief Records Officer)
Mr W.J. Symons (Administrator, Overseas Direct Administration)
Mr R.J. Dalley |