Excerpt from the book "High Adventure", the autobiography of Captain A.H. Cobby. Cobby was in the flight and actually Wilmott's wingman when Wilmott went down and was captured. Cobby relates the episode;

"Soon after this on the 13th, we lost our first man over Hunland. [Three pilots had collided during formation practice only a few days earlier and all three had been killed ] Matt [ Capt G.C. Matthews ] was again leading and Burton, Willmott and I comprised the remainder of the Flight. I can remember Willmott industriously painting his college badge on his machine before he came to France, with it's motto, "Resurgam" which I understood meant, "I will arise again". On this occasion he did not live up to its bold assertion, for when called upon to rise, it was one thing it would not do. We had just finished an offensive patrol, and were still over Hunland on our way back to the lines when three enemy Albatross Scouts dropped down from above and behind us and proceeded to take potshots at the rear machine, which happened to be mine.

It was a most unnerving experience as the leading machines of my patrol did not appear to notice them and I certainly did not know what to do. The enemy did not come in close, and had I turned to attack them I would have been on my own against three, odds which I very definately was not prepared to give those days. The decision however was more or less taken out of my hands. Willmotts engine had several times given trouble during this trip, and he had lost height before it picked up again., and it now proceeded to given an example by perversity, by throwing out puffs of smoke, which suggested valve trouble. He immediately began to lag, and I was in an uncomfortable position of having to stay with him while the Bosches kept up the potshot business. he was losing height, as well as dropping furthur and furthur back, so I zigazagged over him as he went down.

The Bosches still hung back, but kept up firing bursts at both of us, when for a moment Willmotts engine picked up again and he started to climb. Our leader and Burton were were miles away by this time and had apparently not missed us, having left the job of sticking to them in our hands, a requirement that had been so often drummed into our ears. I was doubtful of the part I played in our little drama. I was not sure whether I should have stayed with the formation, or boldly attacked the enemy. Meanwhile I was skidding my machine about and above Willmott, with the intention of not running over him, but mainly to avoid being shot myself, and wondering what principally what was the safest thing to do, when his engine suddenly threw out a cloud of black smoke and his machine went into a spin.

The Bosche did not attempt to go after him, so I did a "Split S" for the line. Apparently Burton had seen the episode and had managed to convey to Matt that there was something wrong, for I met them coming back. It was too late to do anything then, so we went home. Burton told me that he had seen our predicament, but did not know whether to come to our assistance or to stick to the leader as he had so often been told. I would have felt more comfortable if he had turned back. We might have saved both pilot and machine if he had, and would probably have got one or two Albatroses as well, as they did not seem to be anything but very ordinary performers; otherwise they would have put up a more dashing display.

We heard later that Wilmott was a prisoner and uninjured. The Commanding Officer wanted to know why I had not attacked them, but I had to admit quite frankly that I did not know what to do. As things turned out I think that I did the right thing. Willmott was alive and in particular so was I, but I am of the opinion that Willmott would have had better luck if he had put his motto on upside down."