Wilfrid Carne Cole-Adams

The Honourable
Wilfrid Carne Cole-Adams
MC
9th Commandant of the North Borneo Armed Constabulary
In office
16 April 1931 – 16 May 1942 (POW)
Appointed byArthur Frederick Richards
Preceded byHenry Stanley Bond
Succeeded byAlan Rice-Oxley
Personal details
Born10 May 1894
Chiswick or Brentford, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
Died?
SpouseEdith Dorothy Bunbury
RelationsBernard Randall Cole-Adams Executed (Brother)
Parents
  • Alfred Cole-Adams
  • Ethel King Redman
Alma materMerton College, University of Oxford
Awards
Military service
Branch/service
RankLieutenant Colonel
Battles/wars

Wilfrid Carne Cole-Adams (abbreviated as W.C. Adams, W.C.C. Adams, W. Carne Adams or W. Cole-Adams) was a British military officer who served as the Commandant of the North Borneo Armed Constabulary.

Biography

Early life and World War I

Adams attended St. Paul's and graduated from Merton College, University of Oxford in 1913.[1]

At the outset of World War I, he joined the 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment.[1] In July 1916, he was wounded in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, during the attack on Ovillers.[1][2][3] He returned to the field, and on 17 March 1917, he fought with the regiment at the Battle of Arras. He led a raid on an enemy trench, and later assisted in the rescue of a wounded soldier.[4][5] In March 1917, while stationed in Arras, Adams was authorized to wear the rank of Captain in the 5th Battalion.[6] On 30 October, he was wounded again after being shot in the right leg by a bullet from a machine gun at the battle of Battle of Cambrai.[7]

Adams was awarded the Military Cross at the 1918 New Year Honours for his actions at Arras.[4]

British North Borneo Constabulary

In 1922, Adams left Sandakan and went to Jesselton, appointed as the Acting Adjutant of the Constabulary.[8]

In 1925, he took over the Beaufort District from Mr. Skinner.[9]

In May 1926, when Charles Herbert Harington retired from the Constabulary, he was replaced by Henry Stanley Bond as Commandant. Adams went to Sandakan to become the Chief Police Officer there.[10] He was officially appointed to the position in June.[11][12]

In May 1927, he served as Acting Commandant of the Constabulary.[13][14]

In July 1927, he was appointed Officer Commanding of the Armed Constabulary and inspector of prisons.[15]

On 1 November 1927, he led the Charter Day celebrations at the head of the colour guard procession for the Charter Day Parade.[16]

On 14 March 1930, Adams, as the officer-in-charge of the Constabulary for the East Coast Residency, greeted the newly installed Governor of North Borneo, Arthur Frederick Richards.[17]

Commandant of the North Borneo Armed Constabulary

In 1931, after Commandant Bond went on "furlough prior to retirement," Adams took over the position, first as Acting Commandant, officially being appointed to the position in June.[18][19]

At some point around 1931 or 1932, Adams was personally invited by the Rajah of Sarawak to re-organize the Sarawak Constabulary.[20][21]

By 1936, the Jesselton detachment under Adams' command was commanded by Captains Charles Douglas Round-Turner and Alan Rice-Oxley.[22]

In June 1939, Adams was awarded the Colonial Police Medal at the King's Birthday Honours.

In November 1939, Adams was appointed to the Central Committee for the North Borneo General War Relief Fund.[23]

World War II

Adams (center) and his wife (right) speaking to Constabulary Inspector Guriaman the day after the liberation of Batu Lintang camp.

When the Japanese invaded Borneo in 1942, the Chartered Company issued orders to North Borneo to surrender the country. Adams was among the first men to negotiate terms of North Borneo's surrender in Beaufort with the Japanese.[24]

Adams was taken and interred to be a prisoner of war at Berhala Island with his brother, Bernard Randal Cole-Adams. He was then moved to Batu Lintang camp.[25] From July 1942 to 14 November 1944, he served as Assistant Camp Master.[26] After 1 November 1944, he was made Camp Master until the liberation of the camp by allied forces.[27][26] On 11 September 1945, Batu Lintang was liberated by the Australian 9th Division. It was only at the end of September 1945 that the Bunbury's – his wife's parents – received word that Adams and his wife were still alive.[24]

Personal life

In 1921, Adams was the best man for the marriage of V. H. Benthan and F. W. Barber.[28]

By 1922, Adams was a member of the Jesselton Turf Club (the horse racing club of Jesselton), and his racing horse was named Penyangat.[29]

By 1925, his racing horse Hantu rushed the jumps during a race.[30]

In 1926, Adams was engaged to Edith Dorothy "Dorie" Bunbury, niece of the Resident of Sandakan, and a twin daughter of Paymaster-Captain C. R. Bunbury.[31] They were married 30 April 1927 at Sandakan.[32]

Dates of rank

Rank Date Unit Ref.
Lieutenant 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment
Captain 24 March 1917 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment [6]
Major April 1932 North Borneo Armed Constabulary [20]
Lieutenant Colonel North Borneo Armed Constabulary

Written works

References

  1. 1 2 3 "ROYAL BERKS CASUALTIES". Oxford Times. British Newspaper Archives. 22 July 1916. p. 9.
  2. ↑ Kendall, Duncan. "Hurst War Memorial - Goodall, Francis". www.warmemorial.org.uk. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  3. ↑ "Fredrick Rolfe". www.hungerfordvirtualmuseum.co.uk. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  4. 1 2 "THE REGIMENTAL ROLL OF HONOUR AND WAR RECORD OF THE ARTISTS' RIFLES: Military Cross, Adams, Lieut. Wilfred Carne". guttenberg.org. LONDON: HOWLETT & SON. 1922.
  5. ↑ "Berkshire Chronicle (Friday, February 15, 1918) - Reading, Berkshire, England | Page 9 archive". Newspapers.com. 1918-02-15. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  6. 1 2 "Detail". The Wardrobe. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  7. ↑ "OFFICERS' CASUALTIES". Berkshire Chronicle. British Newspaper Archives. 25 January 1918. p. 9.
  8. ↑ "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". National Library of Singapore. Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 12 May 1922. p. 4.
  9. ↑ "NORTH BORNEO NOTES". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 30 April 1925. p. 12.
  10. ↑ "At the end of May Lieut.-Col. C. H. Harington". National Library of Singapore. The Straits Echo (Mail Edition). 1 June 1926. p. 568.
  11. ↑ "North Borneo Appointments". National Library of Singapore. The Straits Times. 15 June 1926. p. 10.
  12. ↑ "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". National Library of Singapore. Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 28 July 1926. p. 7.
  13. ↑ "NORTH BORNEO NOTES". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 4 May 1927. p. 278.
  14. ↑ "NORTH BORNEO NOTES". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 8 June 1927. p. 357.
  15. ↑ "SOCIAL AND PERSONAL". National Library of Singapore. The Straits Times. 12 July 1927. p. 8.
  16. ↑ "Charter Day". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 8 November 1927. p. 16.
  17. ↑ "MR. RICHARDS IN BORNEO". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 16 April 1930. p. 8.
  18. ↑ "North Borneo". London and China Express. British Newspaper Archive. 12 March 1931. p. 16.
  19. ↑ "North Borneo". London and China Express. British Newspaper Archive. 18 June 1931. p. 17.
  20. 1 2 "Reading News Paragraphs". Reading Standard. British Newspaper Archives. 23 April 1932. p. 13.
  21. ↑ "Major W. C. Adams..." (PDF). THE SARAWAK GAZETTE. September 1, 1931. p. 179.
  22. ↑ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE STRAITS BUDGET". National Library of Singapore. The Straits Budget. 29 October 1936. p. 17.
  23. ↑ "War Fund In North Borneo". National Library of Singapore. Malaya Tribune. 22 November 1939. p. 2.
  24. 1 2 "Negotiated Terms". Cheltenham Chronicle. British Newspaper Archive. 29 September 1945. p. 4.
  25. ↑ "Borneo". www.fepow.family. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  26. 1 2 "Records of the Men's Civilian Internment Camp at Lintang, Kuching in Borneo, 1942 - 1945". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  27. ↑ Porter, Ken (February 2025). "FRANK LENNARD PAYNE (1886-1945)" (PDF). Basildon Borough Heritage Society. pp. 3, 10.
  28. ↑ "SOCIAL & PERSONAL". National Library of Singapore. Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 4 June 1921. p. 4.
  29. ↑ "BORNEO NEWS: Successful Racing". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 23 November 1922. p. 14.
  30. ↑ "NORTH BORNEO NOTES: Over the Sticks". National Library of Singapore. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly). 28 October 1925. p. 5.
  31. ↑ "LOCAL AND PERSONAL". National Library of Singapore. The Straits Budget. 9 December 1926.
  32. ↑ "MARRIAGES". London and China Express. British Newspaper Archive. 12 May 1927. p. 29.
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