Aubrey Koch

Albert Aubrey (Aub) Koch, MBE (2 October 1904 – 21 June 1975) was a pioneering Australian military and civil pilot.

Aubrey Koch was born at Ulverstone, Tasmania on 2 October 1904, the son of R. W. Koch, later the Building Surveyor of Hobart, and Elinor (Burton) Koch.

He was educated at Clemes College, Hobart, and began an Engineering Degree at the University of Tasmania.

He was a keen rower, and was in the bow for the 1925 winning crew in the inter-varsity eights in Brisbane.

He trained at Point Cook in 1926, and following graduation accepted a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as there were no places available in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at the time.

After four years service in Egypt and Palestine, he returned to Australia and was commissioned into the Citizen Air Force, flying with No. 1 Squadron at Laverton, where he gained flying instructor qualifications.

Soon after, he was employed by Guinea Airways as an aircraft captain, and spent five years in Papua and New Guinea (PNG), gaining fame as the rescuer of the Archbold expedition.

Koch was transferred to the RAAF Active Reserve upon going to PNG.

He joined Qantas a year before World War II broke out, employed predominantly on the Singapore route.

Aviation called, however, and he entered RAAF Point Cook for pilot training in 1926, graduating at the end of the year.

He was one of six graduates from his course selected for a Short Service Commission in the RAF.

Koch was initially sent to England for training and assessment, where he flew the Avro 504, the Armstrong Whitworth Siskin, and the Bristol Fighter.

He then accepted a posting to the Middle East, and was attached to No. 208 Army Cooperation Squadron, RAF, at Heliopolis, Egypt.

There he was operational on the Bristol Fighter, and in August and September 1929 was involved in the suppression of the Hebron riots.

Whilst on leave in Australia in 1929, Koch met with Lieutenant Colonel Horace Brinsmead, Controller of Civil Aviation, who advised him to gain experience on larger aircraft.

However, his application for posting to a twin-engine squadron was refused.

In May 1930, the Squadron re-equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Atlas.

Koch was also allowed to convert to the Vickers Vimy at No. 216 Squadron, and flew as second pilot on Vickers Victoria aircraft.

He returned to Australia at the end of 1930, arriving in Melbourne on 15 December.

In Egypt, Koch had continued his interest in rifle shooting and photography.

Employment in public transport aviation was difficult to find in 1931, but Koch was able to continue flying with the Citizen Air Force at No. 1 Squadron, Laverton.

He flew as second pilot without pay for Australian National Airways in 1931, to gain experience, and was lucky not to be aboard the ill-fated Southern Cloud, when family commitments prevented him taking his position.

In mid-1933 he was appointed instructor with the Australian Aero Club, based at Essendon Aerodrome.

In November 1933, he was recruited by Guinea Airways as an aircraft captain, and was to spend the next five years in Papua and New Guinea.

He flew the Junkers W 34, the Junkers G 31, and the Ford Tri-Motor during this time, gaining much experience with sea operations when the W34 was float equipped.

He married Clarice Grant on 1 June 1933, in Melbourne; the couple were to have a daughter and two sons.

He gained some fame from his efforts to deliver supplies to the second (1936–37) Archbold Expedition.

The expedition had become isolated when its own aircraft was accidentally destroyed in Port Moresby harbour, and was thought to be camped in the Blucher Mountains near the headwaters of the Strickland River, low on supplies and without fuel for its generators.

Koch, operating out of Mt Hagen in a Ford fitted with long range tanks, found the party and resupplied it by parachute with food and gasoline.

Among his many photographs taken during this period are several of the last known days of Amelia Earhart at Lae aerodrome.

Koch finally achieved his ambition of joining what was then known as Qantas Empire Airways (QEA) with an appointment on 4 July 1938.

The Singapore service commenced on 2 August 1938 (the westbound service was "officially" opened on 4 August).

In the arcane language of QEA, he was promoted from "Extra Mate" to "Senior Mate" in October 1940.

This allowed him to fly as relief Captain on the Singapore service.

QEA was intimately involved in the war effort almost from its beginning, and in late 1940 was contracted to fly 19 PBY5 Catalinas from Honolulu to Australia on behalf of the RAAF.

By a convenience, the crews were regarded as civilians (to meet American diplomatic niceties) for this operation, but on other RAAF contracts, particularly to combat zones, they were seen as serving in the RAAF Reserve.

He was unfortunate to be the captain of the only Qantas aircraft known to be shot down during that war, when the Short Empire flying boat Corio was lost off Timor (Circe disappeared in 1942, possibly also shot down, and Corinna was destroyed by enemy action on the water at Broome, Western Australia).

Post war he was recruited by Lester Brain at the formation of Trans Australia Airlines (TAA), specifically to be Senior Pilot DC4 Skymaster.

At 45, he retired from active flying to become Inspector of Safety and Accidents, TAA.

He was soon promoted to "Master", and in June 1943 to "Extra Master".