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Mr W F W Harding and Mr J L Norris
Announcement that The Royal Horticultural Society had conferred the Veitch Memorial Medal on Mr Harding, Director of Horticulture, and the Associateship of Honour on Mr Norris, the Commission's Local Supervisor in Gallipoli.
Mr M Baratto and Mr D Demey
Announcement of the honorary award of the BEM to Mr Maurice Baratto and Mr Daniel Demey, two of the Belgian buglers who sounded the Last Post each evening at the Menin Gate.
Mr Duponselle, Mr J G Janssen, and M. G Vallieres
Announcement of the deaths, in service, of three of the Commission's gardening staff. They
were Mr Duponselle in Belgium, Mr Janssen in Germany, and M. Vallieres in France.
Matters Arising from the Minutes of the 530th Meeting
a) Update on Estimates and Pakistan's Membership of the Commission.
b) Update on the Head Office Air Conditioning System.
c) Update on the Situation in Iraq.
d) Update on Rangoon War Cemetery.
e) Update on the water supply to Tobruk War Cemetery.
Estimates 1977-1978
Approval of the Revised Estimate of Expenditure for the financial year 1977/78 at £7,332,395. Approval of the Estimate of Expenditure for the financial year 1978/79 at £7,538,110.
Approval of the proposal that, in the absence of participation by Pakistan the contributions of Participating Governments should continue to be calculated on an interim basis of current percentages adjusted proportionately, to provide the full amount required to cover expenditure.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) Revision To Rules
Approval of Revisions to Rules of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) and that the Trustees of the Scheme be authorised and requested to make the modifications, alterations and additions to the Rules of the Scheme contained in the draft approved by the Trustees at their 63rd Meeting on 6 December 1977 to come into effect on 6 April 1978 in place of the existing Rules of the Scheme.
Admission to Membership of Superannuation Scheme (1952)
Approval of changes to Admission to Membership of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952), and that the Trustees of the Scheme be authorised and requested to make membership of the Scheme available prior to 6 April 1978 to the 3 members of staff to whom reference is made in the Paper taken as Item 3 of the Agenda of the 62nd Meeting of the Trustees held on 22 November 1977.
Adoption of Report of the 572nd Meeting of the Finance Committee
Item 4 referred to the redecoration of Head Office.
Item 5 concerned the re-engraving of Hopton Wood headstones in St Sever Cemetery.
Item 6 dealt with the proposed replacement of a name panel which had deteriorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Item 7 related to the contract for the supply of Botticino headstones.
Items 9, 10, 11 were routine procedural Resolutions following on from the Estimates.
Item 12 referred to the Superannuation Scheme.
Appointment Of Horticultural Botanical Adviser To The Commission
Appointment of Professor J P M Brenan MA BSc FLS FIBiol as Honorary Botanical Adviser to the Commission in succession to Sir George Taylor DSc LLD FRS FRSE FLS VMH.
Sixth Meeting Of The Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee
Report on the success of the Sixth Meeting of the Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee held in Rome in November.
Commonwealth- Foreign Joint Committees: Appointment of Members.
Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr P K Dave (Indian Ambassador, Brussels)
Commonwealth-French Joint Committee:
General de Corps d'Armee Jacques de Barry (Gouverneur Militaire de Paris)
Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee:
His Excellency Mr H M Loveday MBE (Australian Ambassador, Bonn)
Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee:
Ammiraglio di Squadra Luigi Tomasuolo (with effect from 9 November 77)
Dottore Berardo Ienzi (Director of the Accommodation Division, Ministry of the Interior) (with effect from 9 November 77)
Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee:
Mr Franz Italianer (Secretary-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Mr F C Murray (Official Secretary, Australian High Commission, London)
The Port Tewfik And Aden Memorials
Approval of the proposal set out in Paper reference CEM 16429A and dated 15 December 1977 to commemorate, in the pavilion at Heliopolis War Cemetery, those formerly commemorated on the Aden Memorial.
Historical Notices In Cemeteries
Approval of the production of the Historical Notices in Cemeteries in the style approved by the Commission.
Oslo Western Civil Cemetery
Approval that the proposal set out in Paper reference CEM 19682 dated 21 September 1977 for the relocation, within Oslo Western Civil Cemetery, of the British War Memorial is rescinded.
Rinella Military Cemetery, Malta
Update on proposal for the removal of the war graves from Rinella to Cappucini Naval Cemetery in Malta.
Graves Within The Commission’s Control – United Kingdom
Approval of the classification as not within the Commission's control of the 46 war graves enumerated in Supplementary List No 14 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 - Warmsley (St James the Great) Churchyard, Cambridgeshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one burial of the 1914-1918 War in Warmsley (St James the Great) Churchyard, Cambridgeshire by the re-erection of the existing headstone, suitably superscribed, in the same churchyard.
Unmaintainable Graves - Finchampstead (St James) Churchyard, Berkshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one burial of the 1939-1945 War in Finchampstead (St James) Churchyard, Berkshire by the erection of a special memorial headstone, suitably superscribed, in the same churchyard.
Unmaintainable Graves - East Wickham (St Michael) Churchyard, Bexley, Greater London
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 6 burials of the 1914-1918 War and 14 of the 1939-1945 War in East Wickham (St Michael) Churchyard, Bexley, Greater London on a special memorial panel to be fixed on the external north wall of the church.
Unmaintainable Graves - Bramley (St Peter) Churchyard, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate 11 burials of the 1914-1918 War and 7 of the 1939-1945 War in Bramley (St Peter) Churchyard, Leeds, West Yorkshire by a single screen wall memorial to be erected in the same churchyard.
Authorisation For The Execution of Documents
Amendment of the authorisation for the execution of documents contained in Resolution No 7.b.(3) passed at the 528th Meeting of the Commission on 17 March 1977 by the addition thereto after the words 'with the written approval of the Secretary and Director-General' of the words '(or in his absence any other Proper Officer)'.
Execution Of Documents
Confirmation of the action for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part 11 134 and 135, referred to in the Schedule laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Diary Update
Note that the exhibition at the London headquarters of the Royal Institute of British Architects was one of the best the Commission had ever staged.
Report from Sir Edward Goschen on his visits to France, Italy and Austria in August and September and to Hong Kong in October, with suggestions for erection of historical notices and mention of removal and replacement of fence with a hedge at Florence War Cemetery.
Note that Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough had represented the Commission at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Plymouth Memorial.
Report from Mr Symons on his visit to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during October, where he introduced the newly appointed horticultural officer for the Far East to staff and local contacts and met representatives of the Sri Lanka Agency. Mentions water supply problem at Karachi War Cemetery.
Other Business
Note that the new Indian High Commissioner hoped to be able to visit Head Office later next year.
Note that a supply of stamped addressed envelopes for each Member would be available from Mr Ayers after the Meeting and Members should notify Mr Ayers regularly of the cost of any telephone calls made on Commission business, and he would arrange for them to be reimbursed.
Playing of tapes to members of a five minute item, recorded at Head Office and broadcast on Radio 4 on 11 November, and the traditional Remembrance Sunday radio broadcast, this year again recorded by Mr Gabriel Woolf, and entitled 'My Father's War'.
Attendees:
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC (Vice-Chairman of the Commission) in the Chair
Mr A.P. Hockaday CB CMG (Representing the Secretary of State for Defence)
Mr R.H. Noyes Roberts (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Mr F.C. Murray (Representing the High Commissioner for Australia)
Mr B.J. Lynch (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr T.F. Wheeler (Representing the Ambassador of South Africa)
Lt Col R.N. Pandit VSM (Representing the High Commissioner for India)
Mr P.C. Aggleton (Representing the Minister for Housing and Construction)
Sir Robert Black GCMG OBE
Miss Joan Woodgate CBE RRC
Sir John Winnifrith KCB
Mr Edward Gardner QC MP
The Lord Wallace of Coslany
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough KCB CBE DFC AFC
Sir Edward Goschen Bt DSO
SECRETARY
Mr A.K. Pallot CMG (Director-General)
ADVISERS
Sir George Taylor DSc LLD FRS FRSE FLS VMH (Honorary Botanical Adviser)
Mr P.A. Scott BSc FICE (Honorary Consulting Engineer)
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 OBE (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 H. Westland MIPM (Establishment Officer)
Mr P.J. Cook (Chief Finance Officer)
Mr G.A. Cheater (Director of Information Services)
Mr W.J. Symons (Administrator, Overseas Direct Administration)
Mr D. L. Ayers (Secretariat)
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