[1] Walter Keith Caple Wookey was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire and soon after moved to Barbados Lodge, Bath, Somerset, schooled at Lewisham, Bristol, UK and went on to further his studies at Oxford.

Despite the impossibility of resisting the Japanese naval and military forces, the chartered company ordered its posted officials to stay in their assigned places and aid in protecting the locals by giving advice in the face of the invasion.

The British Military Administration, which contained a few former Chartered Company senior officers, found the Colony in a state of appalling devastation.

"[5] For more than three years, North Borneo remained under the control of the Japanese Imperial Army until the units of the Ninth Australian Division landed in Labuan on 10 June 1945.

In September 1945, Keith and his friend Dr. Marcus Clarke, then a surgeon captured by the Japanese and stationed in Batu Lintang as well, were released from internment.

After five-years of service working with the Governor in the Secretariat, Keith was appointed as a permanent member of the Executive Legislature and moved to Sandakan.

[1] He, with may others in the service opposed the succession by the crown of the colony of North Borneo to join the Malaysian federation, and was accused of obstruction by Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first Prime Minister.

[7] In November 9th 1963, Keith died of a heart attack shortly after North Borneo (now known as Sabah) was granted self-governance on 31 August 1963, preparing to join Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore in forming the Federation of Malaysia.