commissioner Archives - British South Africa Police Regiment

Graham, Malcolm David

by Andrew Field 8646 | 27-Dec-2025 | commissioners pre

Lt. Colonel

1 March 1890 to 1892
CB; CMG; CVO (1855-1941)

Malcolm David Graham CB; CMG; CVO (1865–1941) was born on 14 July 1865 in Grahamstown, Cape Province, and educated at Haileybury College before proceeding to Sandhurst. Commissioned into the British Army in 1885, he joined the Northamptonshire Regiment and soon found himself drawn into the expanding world of southern African frontier administration. His association with the British South Africa Company Police, though brief, was formative. He first appears during the tensions with the Portuguese at Mutasa’s kraal, and was subsequently appointed Adjutant of the Company Police in Fort Salisbury. When the original quasi‑military police force was disbanded in December 1891, Graham assumed command of the newly constituted and much reduced civilian body as Inspector‑General of Police, effectively becoming one of the earliest professional heads of policing in the territory.
Returning to imperial service, Graham continued a distinguished military and administrative career. He later served with the Royal Berkshire Regiment, rose to senior staff appointments, and became Secretary at the War Office. During the First World War he saw active service and was appointed Aide‑de‑Camp to the King, reflecting his standing within the upper tiers of the British military establishment. His honours included the CB (1915), CMG (1918), and CVO (1919). He died in Durban on 16 November 1941.

Return to Commissioners

Allum, Peter Kevin

by Andrew Field 8646 | 26-Dec-2025 | commissioners post

Commissioner

7 February 1978 to 1 August 1980 (Cessation of the British South Africa Police)
(1920-1995) CLM; OLM; PCD; PCM; PLSM

Peter Kenneth Allum, born on 12 June 1926 in Isleworth, United Kingdom, was educated at Gunnersbury Catholic Grammar School before beginning his early service in the Fleet Air Arm, an experience that shaped the discipline and technical competence he later brought to policing. He attested into the British South Africa Police as a trooper on 28 April 1946 and soon gravitated toward detective work, spending almost his entire career within the Criminal Investigation Department. His postings took him across the country, including Beitbridge (Immigration), Umtali, Salisbury, Bulawayo and Gwelo, where he developed a reputation for methodical investigative skill and steady leadership. Commissioned in 1960, Allum rose steadily through the CID hierarchy, becoming Provincial Commander (PCIO) for the Midlands Province in 1963 and later for Salisbury and Mashonaland in 1967. On 1 October 1970 he was appointed Officer Commanding CID, placing him at the centre of major criminal and security investigations during a turbulent period. His promotion to Deputy Commissioner (Crime and Security) on 7 February 1974 reflected both his seniority and his strategic importance within the organisation. Decorated with the PCD (1973), OLM (1976), CLM (1978), CPM and PLSM, Peter Allum retired to South Africa, where he died in Carltonville on 17 April 2015.

Deputy Commissioners

!
Crime and Security – Denley, Jack (4261) (1923-1985) OLM; PCD; CPM; PLSM; RGSM – 7 February 1978 to 1 August 1980 (Cessation of the British South Africa Police). He continued as Deputy Commissioner of the Zimbabwe Republic Police until 6 February 1982 succeeding Allum as Commissioner.

!
Administration – Atkinson, George (4094) (1923-1990) OLM; PCD; CPM; PLSM; RGSM 22 August 1977 to 22 September 1981

!
Administration – Stuart, George Charles (4736) (b.1929) PMM, PLSM (and Bar), RGSM 22 September 1981 to 13 September 1983

!
Personnel and Recruitment – Murray, Philip Stuart (4437) (1928-1995) PCD; PMM; PLSM; MLM; RGSM – ? to 1 May 1982 23

Return to Commissioners

Pennefather, Edward Graham (1850–1928)

by Andrew Field 8646 | 26-Dec-2025 | commissioners pre

Lt. Colonel – 1 March 1890 to 1892

Edward Graham Pennefather, born on 21 February 1850, pursued a long and varied military and policing career that spanned several continents and major imperial campaigns. He joined the British Army as a young man and was commissioned in April 1873 while serving with the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, a regiment with a distinguished cavalry tradition. Pennefather saw active service in both the Zulu Campaign and the First Boer War, experiences that shaped his reputation as a capable field officer and contributed to his promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in October 1888. In November 1889 he was appointed commander of the British South Africa Company Police, a role that placed him at the centre of early colonial expansion in Southern Africa. He participated in the occupation of Mashonaland and was directly involved in the skirmishes at Massi Kessi, events that underscored the volatile nature of the region during this period. When the “military police” accompanying the Pioneer Column were disbanded, Pennefather was relieved of his command and subsequently returned to regular army service. He retired from the Army in May 1895 and soon after accepted the post of Inspector General of Police in the Straits Settlements, extending his influence into Southeast Asia. Edward Pennefather died in Natal on 29 April 1928, closing a career marked by mobility, conflict, and administrative responsibility across the British Empire.

Sherren, Peter Dennis Wray Richard

by Andrew Field 8646 | 25-Dec-2025 | commissioners post

Commissioner

7 February 1974 to 6 February 1978
(1920-1995) CLM; OLM; PCD; PCM; PLSM

Peter Sherren, born on 16 August 1920 in Wimereux, France, was educated at Leigh Hall College in Essex, where he distinguished himself in sport before entering the family business. His ambitions, however, lay further afield. Drawn to Africa, he attested into the British South Africa Police on 13 August 1939, just weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War. The early years of his service were spent in rural districts, gaining the grounding that would shape his later leadership. He was subsequently seconded to active wartime duty, returning to Rhodesia in 1946 to resume his police career.
Sherren rose steadily through the ranks. Commissioned in October 1956, he went on to hold key command appointments in Umtali and Fort Victoria Districts, followed by the senior provincial command in Matabeleland. His performance in these posts led to his transfer to General Headquarters, where he became a central figure in the organisation’s senior leadership. In 1970 he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner, responsible for Crime and Security, a portfolio of considerable strategic weight.
He died in Harare on 16 August 1995. His decorations included the CPM (1959), PCD (1971), OLM (1973 and 1978), CLM (1977), and PLSM.

Deputy Commissioners

!
Crime and Security – Allum, Peter Kevin (3939) (b.1926 ) CLM; OLM; PLSM; RGSM – 7 February 1974 to 6 February 1978

!
Administration – Jouning, Leonard James (3968) (1921-1980) OLM; PCD; CPM; PLSM; RGSM 8 July 1973 – to 21 August 1977 20

!
Administration – Atkinson, George21 (4094) (1923 -1990 ) OLM; PCD; CPM; PLSM; RGSM 22 August 1977 to 22 September 1981 22

Return to Commissioners