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Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barroclough KCB CBE DFC AFC
The Chairman congratulated Sir John Wilson on his knighthood, and welcomed Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough KCB CBE DFC AFC, Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies, who was attending his first Meeting, and had represented the Commission at the annual Act of Remembrance at the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial, Runnymede, on Sunday 12 May
Mr K McDonald
Welcome extended to Mr K McDonald who would shortly be taking over representation of the High Commissioner for Australia from Colonel Watt.
His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester KG
Announcement of the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester KG, who had been president of the Commission for 33 years, with presentation at the meeting of the copies of the telegrams sent to the Private Secretaries to their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, and a note that a wreath had been sent to the funeral attended by the Chairman at Windsor as the Commission's representative. (The Meeting then stood in silence); Resolution agreed that the Members of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, place on record their profound sorrow on the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, the Commission's President from 1937 to 1970, and their sincere sympathy with Her Majesty The Queen, Her Royal Highness Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and The Royal Family in their bereavement; Members expressed their deepest gratitude for the contribution to the work of the Commission made by His Royal Highness during 33 years; Tribute from the Chairman to his Royal Highness, and the work he had done for the Commission.
Birthday Honours
Announcement that Her Majesty The Queen had been pleased to honour two members of the Commission's staff in the Birthday Honours List - Mr S N King, Area Works Officer at Ypres, had been appointed MBE and Mr F Jackson, Horticultural Superintendent, Netherlands and Germany, at Arnhem, had been awarded the BEM.
Minutes of the 516th Meeting of the Commission and Matters Arising From the Minutes
An apology to Mr Shearar for the omission of his name from the list of those present.
Update on Pakistan's membership of the Commission.
Update on the proposed Turkish Memorial Park at the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Update on the Liverpool Memorial.
Update on Reorganisation in the Pacific Region.
Update on the regrouping of Graves in Tanzania.
Update on the Tehran Memorial.
Report from Mr Pallot on the Estimates of Expenditure.
Report from Mr Pallot on overseas allowances in Northern Europe.
Update on Percentages of Contributions to the Commission by Participating Governments
Update on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) - Transfer of Investments into the Name of Nominees, where it was reported that the transfer of investments into the name of Nominees had been completed.
Update on Commonwealth-Tunisian War Graves Agreement
Update on Cemeteries and Memorials in the Canal Zone, Egypt.
Report of the 558th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Adoption of the Report of the 558th meeting of the Finance Committee, and approval of the recommendations contained therein, including proposed changes to the Superannuation Scheme, recommendations for maintenance to be carried out at Berlin South Western Cemetery, Stahnsdorf, in the German Democratic Republic, Tehran War Cemetery and Memorial, Iran, and Tripoli War Cemetery, Libya, and an update on work carried out on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Trustees’ Powers of Investment
Approval of Amendments to the Rules of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952); Approval of proposed changes to the powers of investment of the Trustees of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952).
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees – Appointment of Members
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Broughton Church Cemetery, Lincolnshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one Commonwealth war burial of the 1914-1918 War in Broughton Church Cemetery, Lincolnshire, by the existing headstone being re-erected in the same church cemetery and suitably superscribed.
Graves Not Within the Commission’s Control – United Kingdom
Approval of the proposal of the classification as not within the Commission's control of the 55 war graves enumerated in Supplementary List No 7 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.
Execution of Documents
Confirmation of the action for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part I 488 and Part II 107-111 inclusive, referred to in the Schedule laid before the meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Reports from Areas and Agencies: Quarter ended 31 March 1974
Noted that there had been some minor incidents of vandalism in the United Kingdom and the Eastern Mediterranean Area.
Report from Colonel Watt of his visit to France Area, where he had visited 10 cemeteries.
Note from Sir Robert Black that at the Arezzo War Cemetery a hedge between the Indian Forces plot and the rest of the cemetery had been removed. Mr Wallace reported on an improvement in the condition of the Air Forces Memorial in Malta.
General Notes
Report from Sir Robert Black on his tour to Germany and Belgium, where he had visited about 30 cemeteries, which he found to be in excellent condition, and he had represented the Commission at the South African wreath- laying ceremony at Cologne Southern Cemetery.
Report by General Sir Noel Thomas where he had visited more than 20 Commission cemeteries and 8 Civilian cemeteries in Italy, France, the South East of the United Kingdom, and Greece, where he had attended the Anzac Day ceremony at Phaleron War Cemetery, and had flown to Salonika where he had visited the Doiran Memorial.
Note of the visit of Baron van Boetzelaer, President of the Netherlands War Graves Foundation and Dr Hodgson, Canadian Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs at Head Office.
Report of the Fifth Meeting of the Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee, where the Secretary had been presented with a silver medallion from the German War Graves Commission, their highest award.
Report on Exhibitions and Information.
Update on forthcoming events from the Chairman who planned to visit Brussels and Ypres in Belgium, the Glasgow Office and graves in the Northern Area of the United Kingdom, followed by the Cheltenham Office and graves in the South West of the United Kingdom.
Update on forthcoming events from Mr Chalmers who was planning to visit Belgium and France, and later in the year Australia and New Zealand, followed by Canada.
Update on forthcoming events from Mr Pallot who was planning to go to the Near and Middle East, and India.
Other Business
A report from the Secretary that the Royal Institute of British Architects had selected the Commission's Head Office building to receive their 1974 award for the Southern Region (Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Announcement that Colonel A D Watt OBE was attending his last Meeting for the Commission before his return to Australia, with appreciation of the valuable part he had played in discussions at Meetings.
Reply from Colonel Watt indicating his admiration for the work of the Commission, which he saw as an exceptional concentration of experience, knowledge and dedication.
Conclusion of the Meeting, with a note that the date of the next Meeting of the Commission at Head Office was Thursday 26 September at 11 am.
ATTENDEES:
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC (Vice-Chairman of the Commission), in the Chair
Sir John Wilson KCB (Representing the Secretary of State for Defence)
Mr P. S Cooper CVO OBE CD (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Colonel A.D. Watt OBE (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Mr D. B. G McLean (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr J. B. Shearer (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Mr R. D. Hutchings (Representing the Minister for Housing and Construction)
Sir Robert Black GCMG OBE
Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC
Admiral Sir Frank Twiss KCB DSC
Mr Edward Gardner QC MP
Mr George Wallace
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough KCB CBE DFC AFC
SECRETARY:
Mr W.J. Chalmers CB CBE (Director-General)
There were also present:
Mr K. McDonald (Australian High Commission)
Mr A. K. Pallot CMG (Assistant Secretary, Director of Administration)
Mr P.H.M. Swan (Director of External Relations)
Mr A.S. Laing MVO (Director of Information Services)
Mr J. Saynor (Chief Finance Officer) |