He was captured by the Viet Cong in 1961 and was not released until a ransom was paid—reportedly an Olivetti typewriter. He continued to work in Vietnam after this incident, and by 1966 was running a business supplying duck feathers to the American military for use in life jackets. Returning to Australia, he was administration manager for Geopeko, the exploration unit responsible for discovering the Ranger uranium deposit at Jabiru. Wilf Arthur died on 23 December 2000, at the age of 81. The Kittyhawk "Polly" that he flew in his DSO-winning action of 14 April 1943 was purchased by the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, in 1992 and put on display in its Aircraft Hall.