| Content Note | Topics covered:
Chairman's welcome to Captain Silberbauer who was representing the South African Ambassador, and to Brigadier- General P V B Grieve CD newly Secretary-General of the Canadian Agency, who was making a familiarisation visit to Head Office.
Announcement of the appointment of Mr Roy Mason as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who had been succeeded as Secretary of State for Defence by Mr Fred Mulley.
Announcement of the death of Mr H Richardson, a Head Gardener in France Area.
Matters Arising from the Minutes of the 525th Meeting
Note that Mr Douglas Carter had now succeeded Mr Hugh Watt as High Commissioner for New Zealand.
Update on Pakistan's Membership of the Commission.
Update on Rangoon War Cemetery.
Update on the proposed Liverpool Memorial.
Update on Boundary Realignment at Yokohama War Cemetery.
Update on the situation in Lebanon.
Adoption of the Report of the 567th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Note that discussions would begin as to whether the Commission's staff should be contracted out of the earnings-related state pension arrangements after consultation with staff representatives.
Update on the air conditioning system at Head Office.
Update on new well at Tobruk War Cemetery.
Update on the Commission's film where thirteen copies of the film had been produced and a fourteenth, with French narration, was being made.
57th Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Commission
Approval of the 57th Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the Commission for the year ended 31 March 1976.
Appointment of Honorary Artistic Adviser to the Commission
Announcement of the Appointment of Mr Peter F Shepheard Esq CBE FRIBA MRTPI FILA BArch to Honorary Artistic Adviser to the Commission.
Acquisition of Land at Brookwood Military Cemetery
Approval of the purchase of the freehold of the Brookwood Military Cemetery on the understanding that the purchase price will be provided by the United Kingdom Government.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees: Appointment of Members
Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee:
Monsieur Roger Marchau (Ingenieur Principal et Directeur des Ponts et Chaussees, Ministere des Travaux Publics)
Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee:
Herr Vortragender Legationsrat I Kl Dr Rudolph Jestaedt (Counsellor, Legal Department Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr D'Iberville Fortier (Canadian Ambassador, Rome)
Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee:
Mr R W Irving MBE (Consul, British Embassy, Tokyo)
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Kegworth Baptist Chapelyard
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one burial of the 1914-1918 War in Kegworth Baptist Chapelyard, Leicestershire by the erection of a special memorial headstone in the same chapelyard.
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Hyde (St. George) Churchyard, Greater Manchester
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 6 burials of the 1914-1918 War in Hyde (St George) Churchyard, Greater Manchester by one special memorial headstone to be erected near to the south wall of the church.
Unmaintainable Graves – United Kingdom: Houghton-Le-Spring (St. Michael’s) RC Cemetery
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 3 burials of the 1914-1918 War and one of the 1939-1945 War in Houghton le-Spring (St Michael's) RC Cemetery Tyne and Wear by the erection of one special memorial headstone in the same cemetery.
Execution Of Documents
Confirmation of the action for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part I 531 to 534, referred to in the Schedule laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Ceremony at Ocracoke Island (Cunningham) Cemetery, North Carolina, United States
Report of the ceremony at Ocracoke Island Cemetery North Carolina, United States at which the Welfare Officer had represented the Commission.
Diary Update
Report from the Chairman of his tour in Germany, Austria and Italy, and Central and North Wales, with comments about Durnbach War Cemetery which was in a good condition but the gardening staff had experienced problems when a heavy frost damaged much of their equipment and machinery. Also comments on work of new gardener employed at Klagenfurt War Cemetery and also of condition of cemeteries in Asiago Plateau where a number of Italian visitors were visiting these more remote places. Also mentions Polish plot at Pwllheli.
Report from Mr Dukes of his visit to the Far East, Australia and New Zealand, where at Bourail War Cemetery in New Caledonia, he had found the cemetery to be in a deplorable state as the sandstone from which the fabric had been constructed had completely lost its cohesion, and all the stonework would have to be replaced.
Report from the Secretary of his visit to France in July in connection with the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
Report from Mr Matthew on the Canterbury exhibition held in the undercroft of the Eastbridge Hospital, Canterbury, the opening of which he had attended.
Report from Mr Harding on the effect of the recent drought on the Commission's operations in Europe.
Report from Mr Laing on the discovery of a crashed Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft in Sweden.
Reminder to Members that on 11 November HM the Queen Mother would open the Commission's exhibition in the Chapter House, Westminster Abbey at 11:00 and on the following day the traditional Gardeners' Service would be held at 12:00.
Other Business
Update that the Commission had been one of the official organisations invited to attend the recent unveiling of the Katyn Memorial, and that after consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the invitation had been declined.
Announcement that the Prime Minister of Australia had announced that because of ill health Sir John Bunting would retire from his position as High Commissioner early in the New Year.
Note that the next Meeting would be held on Thursday 16 December at 11 am at Head Office, Maidenhead.
ATTENDEES:
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC (Vice-Chairman of the Commission), in the Chair
Mr R.H. Noyes Roberts (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Mr F.C. Murray (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Mr D.B.G. McLean (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Captain D.F. Silberbauer (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Brigadier J.M. Vohra SM (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Mr P.C. Aggleton (Representing the Minister of Housing and Construction)
Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC
Admiral Sir Frank Twiss KCB DSC
SECRETARY
Mr A.K. Pallot CMG (Director-General)
There were also present:
Mr A.S. Laing MVO (Assistant Secretary, Assistant Director-General (Secretariat))
Mr J. Saynor (Assistant Secretary, Assistant Director-General (Administration))
Mr P.R. Matthew BA (Assistant Secretary, Legal Adviser and Solicitor)
Mr W.H. Dukes (Director of Works)
Mr W.F.W. Harding OBE BSc (Hort) FLS (Director of Horticulture)
Mr P.H.M. Swan (Director of External Relations)
Mr S.G. Campbell MC (Director of Information Services)
Brigadier-General P. V. B. GRIEVE CD (Secretary-General, Canadian Agency)
Mr D. L Ayers (Secretariat) |