| Content Note | Topics covered
Mr Andre Bissonnette
The Chairman welcomed Mr Andre Bissonnette, Deputy High Commissioner for Canada, who was attending a meeting of the Commission for the first time.
Update on reorganisation in the Pacific Region, where it had been deemed necessary to defer the introduction of the new arrangements for probably 3 months.
Update on the regrouping of graves in Tanzania.
Update on the situation with the Tehran Memorial.
Update from Mr Pallot on the Estimates of Expenditure for 1974 -75.
Report of the 557th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Approval of the Report of the 557th Meeting of the Finance Committee including recommendations for further reorganisation in Head Office, a Report from Mr Pallot concerning proposed rises to pay of United Kingdom based manual staff and the Appointment of Mr Westland as Establishment Officer.
Membership of the Finance Committee
Agreement that the High Commissioner for India be appointed a member of the Finance Committee for three years from 1st April 1974.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees – Appointment of Members
Commonwealth-French Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr H D Anderson OBE (Australian Ambassador, Paris)
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC
Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee:
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC
Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee:
Major-General (Cavalry) Jonkheer W H de Savornin Lohman
Mr W J Geertsema (Queen's Commissioner in the Province of Gelderland)
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC
Appointment of Trustees of the Imperial War Graves Endowment Fund
Including acceptance of the resignations of Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Graeme Cheshire GBE KCB and Mr Andrew Hunter Carnwath as Trustees with an appreciation of the valuable services they had rendered, and appointment of General Sir John Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC and Mr Eric Michael Pole Welman as Trustees of the Endowment Fund.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Appointment of New Trustee
Nomination for the appointment of General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC as a new Trustee to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952).
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Transfer of Investments into the Name of Nominees
Proposal to amend the Trust Deed of the Superannuation Scheme to enable investments to be transferred into the name of Nominees, and that the name of British Overseas Banks Nominees Ltd is approved to act as the nominees of the Trustees.
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: High Wycombe Cemetery, Buckinghamshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate four Commonwealth burials of the 1939-1945 War in High Wycombe Cemetery, Buckinghamshire by the erection in the same cemetery of four special memorial headstones.
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Bury (St. Paul) Churchyard, Lancashire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 7 Commonwealth War burials, 6 of the 1914-1918 War and one of the 1939-1945 War in Bury (St Paul) Churchyard, Lancashire by re-erecting the existing headstones, suitably superscribed in the same churchyard.Execution of Documents
Execution of Documents
Confirmation of the action for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part 1 487 and Part 11 100 to 105 inclusive, referred to in the Schedule laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Reports from Regions, Areas and Agencies: Quarter ended 31 December 1973.
Mentions correction made to reports
General Notes
Note that her Majesty the Queen had laid a wreath at Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea when she had visited it on 25 January, and that she had also laid a wreath on Tuesday 19 March at Djarkarta War Cemetery, Indonesia, during her resumed tour.
Report from the Secretary on two tours he had made during the present quarter including touring Italy where he inspected a number of cemeteries and found a high standard of maintenance, and Tunisia, where he had inspected the Sfax, Enfidaville, Massicault and Medjez-el-Bab cemeteries, which he had found to be in good order, and his main business had been the negotiation with the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the final text of the proposed Commonwealth- Tunisian War Graves Agreement.
Report from the Secretary on his tour in Egypt, where he had inspected the cemeteries in Cairo and Alexandria and at El Alamein and had found them in good order, as well as discussing the questions of the cemeteries in Alexandria and in the Canal Zone with the Ambassadors of Participating Governments in Cairo.
Report from the Secretary of his tour to Libya, where he had inspected the cemeteries of Tobruk, Acroma, Benghazi and Tripoli, and had had useful discussions with the Ambassadors in Tripoli.
Other Business
Announcement that the Secretary of State for Defence was about to submit to The Queen the name of Air Chief Marshall Sir John Barraclough KCB CBE DFC AFC for appointment as a Member of the Commission.
Announcement that the meeting was the last that Major-General Amreek Singh would be attending as representative of the High Commissioner for India, with thanks from the Chairman for his services to the Commission.
Announcement that Mr J W T Pritchard who had latterly represented the Minister for Housing and Construction at Commission meetings was about to retire and that this would be his last meeting, with thanks for his services to the Commission.
Tribute from the Secretary of State for Defence for the outstanding service which Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire GBE KCB had given to the Commission, and a resolution was passed that the Commission place on record on the retirement of their Vice-Chairman, Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire GBE KCB their appreciation of his services
Date of next meeting
Note that the date of the next meeting was Thursday 20th June at 11 am at the Head Office, Maidenhead.
ATTENDEES:
Air Chief Marshall Sir Walter Cheshire GBE KCB (Vice-Chairman of the Commission), in the Chair
Mr J.M. Wilson CB (Representing the Secretary of State for Defence)
Mr P.A. Bissonnette (Deputy High Commissioner representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Colonel A.D. Watt OBE (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
His Excellency Mr T.H. McCombs (High Commissioner for New Zealand)
His Excellency Dr Carel de Wet (Ambassador of South Africa)
Major-General Amreek Singh (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
Mr E. L Gardner QC MP
Mr G.D. Wallace
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC
SECRETARY:
Mr W.J. Chalmers CB CBE (Director-General)
There were also present:
Mr P. S. Cooper CVO OBE (Canadian High Commission)
Mr D.B.G. McLean (Deputy High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr A.K. Pallot CMG (Assistant Secretary, Director of Finance and Establishments)
Mr P.H.M. Swan (Assistant Secretary, Director of External Relations)
Mr P.R. Matthew BA (Legal Adviser and Solicitor)
Mr W.H. Dukes (Director of Works)
Mr W.F.W. Harding OBE BSc (Hort) FLS (Director of Horticulture)
Mr A.S. Laing MVO (Director of Information Services)
Mr D.H. Lloyd (Director, United Kingdom)
Mr M.J. W. Taylor (Chief Accountant)
Mr H. Westland (Establishment Officer)
Mr I.C. Haydon (Private Secretary to Director-General)
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