Skip to content ↓

View entry

Back to search results

Name: SPICER, Roy Godfrey Bullen CMG, MC

image of individualimage of individual

Birth Date: 12 Feb 1889 New Barnet, Herts

Death Date: 11 June 1946 Yarmouth, Isle of Wight

First Date: 1925

Last Date: 1931

Profession: Commissioner of Kenya Police 1925-31 in which year he was transferred to Palestine.

Married: In Mombasa 1926 Margaret Ina Frances Money b. 8 Sep 1982 Colombo, Ceylon, d. 17 Aug 1953 Bayswater, London (prev. m. to george Dawes)

Children: Paul

Book Reference: Habari 16, Police, Red 25, Red 31, Colonial, Dominion, Temptress, Who's Who

War Service: War service 1915-19, Lieut. The Carabiniers, wounded Oct. 1918

School: Colet Court and St. Paul's School

General Information:

Police - The Colonial Office had selected in succession to F.D. Tyssen as Commissioner of Police, R.G.B. Spicer, MC (Ceylon Police) to date from June 13th 1925; and he arrived in the Colony to assume command in October. He held the appointment until 1931, when he was appointed Inspector General of the Palestine Police. ..... Before being transferred to kenya he served as a Cadet Officer and then Superintendent of the Ceylon Police.
During 1914-18 he was an officer of the 6th Dragoon Guards, gassed and wounded in France, mentioned in Despatches and awarded the MC. He proved to be extremely energetic and a most capable leader, a first-class administrator, and he knew his job thoroughly. He was both morally and physically courageous. Always tireless himself and ambitious for the Force which he commanded, Spicer demanded from all ranks of the Police a very high standard of conduct and efficiency and succeeded admirably in attaining this standard.
Himself a good sportsman, Spicer gave the greatest possible encouragement for all ranks to excel in sports. He had been a good boxer, played an excellent game of cricket, was a horse-lover, a keen and good polo player, and an amateur jockey on the flat or steeplechasing. Throughout his service with the Kenya Police he was an ardent supporter of soccer, rugby, cricket and all kinds of athletics. The result was that the Police earned a high reputation as a fine body of sportsmen. The Commissioner  lost no time in getting into his stride. Shortly after assuming command he began to introduce new methods, as well as improvements in both the administrative and executive sides of the Police. ..........….
One of the most important events in 1931 for the Kenya Police was the departure of the Commissioner to become Inspector General of the Palestine Police. Sir Herbert Dowbiggin, who had been deputed to report on the latter Police Force after the 1929 riots when the Jews suffered a number of casualties at the hands of the Arabs, recommended that R.G.B. Spicer should be appointed to the command of the Palestine Police to reorganize it thoroughly. They had served together previously in Ceylon. The Commissioner relinquished his post on June 30th, 1931 and left to take up his new appointment in Palestine. ..... The departure of Spicer was much regretted by all ranks of the Force. He had accomplished a very great deal in putting the Kenya Police on a thoroughly sound basis. It was unfortunate that drastic economies were forced upon the Government and, of course, also on the Force during the last two years of his command.
Red 25 - Supt. Ceylon Police, Lieut. 'The Carabiniers'.
Dominion - Commissioner of Police - 1930
Ebay - Photo of The Football Association of Kenya - 1931 - President
Temptress - Margaret Spicer - Friend to Alice {de Janze}. …. American-born and Swiss-educated. Married Roy Spicer in 1926 in Kenya. Died at Hampton Court in 1953 in the grace-and-favour apartment granted to her by Queen Elizabeth II. Temptress - Roy Spicer - Son of Bullen Spicer and Adele von Besser. Scholar at St. Paul's School, London. Fought in the First World War, wounded and gassed. Awarded the MC. Became Commissioner of Kenya Police (1925-1931). Friends with Alice and Frederic de Janze. Later he was Inspector-General of the Palestine Police (1931-1937). Joined the Allied Administration during the Second World War and as a full Colonel became Governor of Rome.
Gazette - 3/6/1925 - Arrived on 1st Appointment - Commissioner of Police - R.G.B. Spicer
Colonial - Kenya after service in Ceylon Police
1939 England and Wales Register living with wife in Isle of Wight

Back to search results