Gerald Reece

{{Short description|British writer and colonial administrator}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = Sir |name = Gerald Reece |honorific_suffix = KCMG, CBE, DL |image =  |alt = |caption = |office1 = Governor and Commander-in-Chief of British Somaliland |term_start1 = 1948 |term_end1 = 1954 |predecessor1 = Gerald Fisher |successor1 = Sir Theodore Pike |birth_date = {{Birth date|1897|1|10|df=y}} |birth_place = |death_date = {{death date and age|1985|10|14|1897|1|10|df=y}} |death_place = |citizenship = British |party = |other_party =  |partner =  |relations = |children = |alma_mater = |occupation = |profession = |cabinet = |committees = |portfolio = |signature = |signature_alt = |website = |footnotes =  |nickname = |allegiance = |branch = |rank = |unit = |commands = |battles = |awards = }} '''Sir Gerald Reece''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|KCMG|CBE|DL}} (10 January 1897 – 14 October 1985) was a British writer and colonial administrator. He served as Governor of the British Somaliland Protectorate from 1948 until February 1954.

==Early life== Gerald Recce was born in 1897 and as soon as he reached the age of eighteen, he volunteered for service in the British Army. He served on the Western Front, in France and Belgium.

On being demobilised, he qualified as a solicitor. From 1921 to 1925 he practised law in London but office life was rather dull after his war-service and he gave up the safe career for the unpredictability of colonial service.

==Career== Reece began his colonial career in 1925 in Kenya Colony. In March 1925 he was appointed the Assistant District Commissioner (DC) for North Kavirondo District.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gyl5CRVKZ1sC&q=Kenya+Gazette+1925+Reece&pg=PA232 |title = Kenya Gazette|date = April 1925}}</ref> This was more of a probation post, to determine his fitness for more remote and unsupervised postings and after six months he received a transfer. The new appointment was in the West Suk District of Kerio Province.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yXJIEvWCASgC&q=Kenya+Gazette+Gerald+Reece&pg=PA1063 | title=Kenya Gazette| date=1925-11-04}}</ref>

He was affiliated with the Royal African Society and authored ''The Horn of Africa'' for the Royal Institute of International Affairs in October 1954 (Vol. 30, #4, pp. 440–449 {{doi|10.2307/2608724}}).

==Family== He married Alys Tracy (born 13 March 1912 - died 18 January 1995) in 1936. Alys, Lady Reece was herself awarded the MBE.

==References== <references />

==External links== * {{Cite ODNB|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-64156|title=Reece, Sir Gerald (1897–1985), colonial administrator|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/64156}} * {{Cite web|url=http://ndhm.org.uk/page_58a.htm|title=pag58a|date=October 21, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021031354/http://ndhm.org.uk/page_58a.htm|archive-date=2007-10-21}} * {{Cite web|url=http://www.vso.org.uk/lfd/pdfs/dd_colonialism.pdf|title=PDF file|date=December 27, 2005|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227183610/http://www.vso.org.uk/lfd/pdfs/dd_colonialism.pdf|archive-date=2005-12-27}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reece, Gerald (British Somaliland Protectorate)}} Category:1897 births Category:1985 deaths Category:British Africanists Category:British non-fiction writers Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deputy lieutenants of East Lothian Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Category:Place of birth missing Category:Governors of British Somaliland Category:British male writers Category:20th-century British non-fiction writers Category:British male non-fiction writers