| Content Note | Topics covered:
Deaths:
Announcement of the deaths of Sir John Anderson, former member of the Commission; Brigadier K R Daniell former member of staff; Mr Tekle Degelle, Local Honorary Supervisor in Addis Ababa; Mr G E W Hey, Gardener Caretaker in Northern Europe Area.
Appointments:
Reported that the new Indian High Commissioner (Mr R K Rasgotra) had been appointed, but was not yet in post.
Awards:
Reported that Mr I A Johnstone, Higher Technology Officer, North Africa Area had been awarded the MBE and Messrs. G W Taylor, Professional and Technology Officer, United Kingdom Area, and Mr Samuel Mezhur Angami, Group Supervisor North-East India had been awarded the BEM. Messrs. E M Nelson, Senior Head Gardener France Area; M J MacDonald, Gardener Caretaker 1st Class France Area; H A V Fisher, Head Gardener Northern Europe Area and W A White, Gardener Caretaker 1st Class Northern Europe Area had all been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s medal for 40 consecutive years of service to horticulture with one employer.
Matters arising from the minutes of the 572nd meeting, including a report on the condition of the staircase of the observation tower of the Australian National Memorial at Villers Bretonneux and the cost of repairs; the financial constraints affecting the Tanzanian Agency of the Commission.
Membership of the Finance Committee: Discussion of Financial Memorandum for the British Government’s grant-in-aid payment to the Commission; Recommendation to permit the Secretary of State for Defence to become a member of the Financial Committee if he so wished; Proposed members of the Financial Committee.
CWGC Superannuation Scheme: Aim to clear shortfall within six years and to leave member contributions at the current rate to maintain comparability with the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS): To introduce a refund of family member contributions as in the PCSPS to members retiring unmarried: To permit purchase of Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).
Gaza War Cemetery: Quarters – paper on the loss of land in one corner of the cemetery due to road realignment by the local municipality, with approval that compensation to be sought from Israel through non-governmental channels, and approval for costs of construction of new quarters
Commonwealth-Netherlands Joint Committee: Ninth meeting included a Field Day of demonstrations at Arnhem (Oosterbeek) War Cemetery and a visit to the Netherlands War Cemetery at Grebbeberg; Events in England centred around business meeting in Maidenhead and a wreath-laying at the Netherlands Field of Honour, Mill Hill, and at the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede.
Approved appointment of member to Commonwealth-Foreign Joint Committees
Approved execution of documents relating to compensation claim for damage to grape crop by use of weed killer in adjoining cemetery at Bari in Italy.
Burials and Commemorations: Approved terms of classification relating to 27 graves in the United Kingdom; Approved alternative commemoration for 50 unmaintainable burials in the United Kingdom and Canada.
Tours by Commissioner and Head Office Officials: Reports on visits made: to the Plymouth Naval Memorial and four other cemeteries in Plymouth containing Commonwealth war graves; to the Far East taking in sites in Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia; France including Corsica and Malta; Sicily and the Netherlands. Of concern were the route of the planned TGV in northern France, and maintenance of non-world war graves in Malta. Plans for royal visits to Salerno War Cemetery by the Queen Mother and Arnhem (Oosterbeek) War Cemetery by HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, together with HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and HRH Prince Claus
Other Business:
Visits by Area Director and Horticultural Officer to sites in Libya after four-year gap, with comments on condition of Knightsbridge, Tripoli, Tobruk and Benghazi, and notes of offer from Canadian Ambassador in Rome to help in obtaining visas to Libya
ATTENDEES:
Admiral Sir David Williams GCB DL (Vice-Chairman of the Commission)
His Excellency the Hon Douglas McClelland AC (High Commissioner for Australia)
General Sir Robert Ford GCB CBE
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell GBE KCB
Captain Sir Miles Wingate KCVO
Major General Desmond Smith CBE DSO CD
Miss Janet Fookes MP
Sir Derek Day KCMG
Sir Nigel Mobbs DL
Mr K C Macdonald CB (Representing the Secretary of State for Defence in the United Kingdom)
Mr R A Gomme (Representing the Secretary of State for the Environment in the United Kingdom)
Mr G Greenhalgh (Representing the High Commissioner for Canada)
Brigadier H M Khanna (Representing the High Commissioner for the Republic of India)
Brigadier R J Andrews OBE (Representing the High Commissioner for New Zealand)
Mr H S Raubenheimer (Representing the High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa)
ADVISERS:
Professor Sir Peter Shepheard CBE BArch PPRIBA MRTPI PPILA (Honorary Artistic Adviser)
Professor E A Bell CB PhD FLS CChem FRSC (Honorary Botanical Adviser)
SECRETARY:
Sir Arthur Hockaday KCB CMG, Director-General
Also in attendance:
Mr J Saynor JP, Assistant Secretary, Deputy Director-General (Operations)
Mr D Kennedy, Assistant Secretary, Deputy Director-General (Administration)
Mr N B Osborn FRICS, Director of Works
Mr G C Reddie, Legal Adviser and Solicitor
Mr R J Dalley, Director of Secretariat
Mr P J Noakes BSc MIHort, Director of Horticulture
Mr R D Wilson ACMA, Director of Finance
Mrs M E Meads, Senior Executive Officer (Secretariat)
Lieutenant-General P A G Reitz, Secretary-designate, South African Agency
Mr S T Bell, Secretariat |