| Content Note | Topics covered:
Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire
Announcement of the death of Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Cheshire who had been a member of the Commission from 1968 and Vice-Chairman from 1970 until he had relinquished his appointment in 1974, with the Meeting standing in silence.
Sir Edward Salisbury
Announcement of the death of Sir Edward Salisbury who from 1943 to 1956, had been the Commission's Botanical Adviser.
M. Busin, Mr de Rozario, Mr Gergis, and Mr Toppo
Announcement of the death in service of M. Busin, a Gardener in France, Mr de Rozario, a Caretaker in Bangladesh, Mr Gergis, a Gardener in Iraq and Mr Toppo, a Head Gardener in India.
Mr Matthys Botha
Announcement that Mr Matthys Botha had relinquished his appointment as Ambassador of South Africa.
Matters Arising from the Minutes of the 534th Meeting
a) Update on France Area Accommodation where a very promising site had been found at Beaurains, on the outskirts of Arras.
b) Update on the Situation in Iraq.
c) Update on the situation with Rangoon War Cemetery.
France Area Accommodation
Approval for the development of the France Area Accommodation at the new site of Beaurains to include offices, workshops, stores and parking for all the centrally based staff of France Area, together with residential accommodation for a caretaker, with an architect appointed on a fee basis to design and supervise the construction of the development, and that the premises at Place du Marechal Foch and 60 Route de Bapaume, Arras, were to be sold.
Estimates 1979-1980
Approval of the Revised Estimate of Expenditure for the financial year 1978/79 at £8,112,935.
Approval of the Estimate of Expenditure for the financial year 1979/80 at £8,337,350.
Approval of the provision by Participating Governments of £120,000 during the financial year 1979/80, for the Special Property Account.
Confirmation of the percentages which have been used on an interim basis since 1975/76, and that for accounting purposes, the Working Balance of £300,000 is apportioned.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) – Amendments
Approval of Amendments to the Trust Deed and Rules of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952), and that the Trustees of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Superannuation Scheme (1952) are authorised and requested to make such modifications, alterations or additions to the Rules of the Scheme as may be necessary or expedient in order to provide that the amendments are made.
Adoption of the Report of the 576th Meeting of the Finance Committee
Item 4 dealt with the establishment of a CWGC Staff Benevolent Fund.
Item 5 dealt with repair work to the Thiepval Memorial.
Item 6 dealt with the rehabilitation of war cemeteries in Libya.
Item 11 dealt with the establishment of staff in 1979/80.
Item 12 dealt with the pay and conditions of United Kingdom based manual staff.
Appointment of Proper Officers
Appointment of Philip Reynolds Matthew as a Proper Officer of the Commission with authority to sign documents as may be requisite or necessary.
Third Meeting of the Commonwealth-Thai Joint Committee
Report from Mr Symons of the Third Meeting of the Commonwealth-Thai Joint Committee which he had attended.
Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees: Appointment of Members
Commonwealth-Belgian Joint Committee:
Monsieur R Van Dyck, Directeur d'Administration, Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres
Commonwealth-German-French Joint Committee:
Dr Josef Schneeberger (President, Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraberfursorge)
Monsieur Jean-Paul Bourcheix (Directeur des Statuts et des Services Medicaux Secretariat d'Etat aux Anciens Combattants)
Commonwealth-Italian Joint Committee:
Dottore Vittorio Dello Iacono (Director, Department of Domains, Ministry of Finance)
Commonwealth-Japanese Joint Committee:
Mr R Archambault (First Secretary, Canadian Embassy, Tokyo)
Graves Not Within The Commission’s Control
Approval of the classification of not within the Commission's control of the 58 war graves enumerated in Supplementary List No 16 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.
Unmaintainable Graves - Australia
Approval of the proposal to commemorate the name of Pte A N Fuller in the Garden of Remembrance at Sydney, New South Wales.
Unmaintainable Graves – Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one burial of the 1914-1918 War in Brookwood Cemetery by the erection of a Special Memorial, suitably superscribed, in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking.
Unmaintainable Graves – Lichfield (St Michael) Churchyard, Staffordshire
Approval of the proposal to commemorate twenty-six burials of the 1914-1918 War and eight of the 1939-1945 War in Lichfield (St Michael) Churchyard by a Screen Wall Memorial to be erected in the same churchyard.
Unmaintainable Graves – Penygarn Baptist Burial Ground, Pontypool
Approval of the proposal to commemorate one burial of the 1914-1918 War in Penygarn Baptist Burial Ground, Pontypool, by the erection of a Special Memorial, suitably superscribed, in the same burial ground.
Execution of Documents
Confirmation that the action for the execution by the Commission or on its behalf of the documents, Serial Nos Part I 550 and Part II 148 and 149, referred to in the Schedule now laid before the Meeting and signed for identification by the Commission's Legal Adviser and Solicitor.
Diary Update
Report from the Chairman on his visit to North West Europe Area, where he had visited Commission sites in northern Germany and the Netherlands.
Report from the Secretary on his tour to Canada and the United States.
Report from Mr Dukes on his tour in South Africa and South West Africa.
Report from Mr Symons on his visit to the Far East.
Report from Mr Saynor of his visit to North Africa.
Note that the Chester Exhibition had been a tremendous success, and discussion on increased public interest in the work of the Commission.
Report from the Chairman that he had visited France to attend the annual ceremony at the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial and the Returned Services League of Australia Pilgrimage ceremony at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
Report from Sir John Barraclough that he had represented the Commission at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Plymouth Memorial.
Attention drawn to reports of the visits of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to Belgrade
Cemetery and Shri Morarji Desai to Kohima War Cemetery.
Note that the eagle feature of the Malta Memorial had been re-gilded.
Other Business
Announcement that Colonel Pandit was attending a Commission Meeting for the last time as he would be returning to India.
Playing to the meeting members of a tape recording of the Remembrance Day broadcast by Mrs Graeme Caldwell.
Attendees:
General Sir Noel Thomas KCB DSO MC (Vice-Chairman of the Commission), in the Chair
Sir Arthur Hockaday KCB CMG (Representing the Secretary of State for Defence)
Mr G.A. Cowley (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 Winnifirth KCB
Admiral Sir Frank Twiss KCB KCVO DSC
The Lord Wallace of Coslany
Air Chief Marshall Sir John Barraclough KCB CBE DFC AFC
Sir Edward Goschen Bt DSO
SECRETARY
Mr A.K. Pallot CMG (Director-General)
ADVISER
Mr P.A. Scott BSc FICE (Honorary Consulting Engineer)
There were also present:
Mr A. S. Laing MVO (Assistant Secretary, Deputy Director-General)
Mr P.R. Matthew (Assistant Secretary, Assistant Director-General (Operations))
Mr J. Saynor (Assistant Secretary, Assistant Director-General (Administration))
Mr I.E. Morgan (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 (Director, Outer Area)
Mr D.L. Ayers (Secretariat)
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