Albert Aubrey Koch | |
|---|---|
 Captain Koch in Qantas uniform | |
| Born | 2 October 1904 |
| Died | 21 June 1975 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Years active | 1926–1945 |
| Known for | Relief of Archbold Expedition Shot down in Qantas aircraft Trans Australia Airlines executive |
| Awards | Member of the Order of the British Empire |
| Aviation career | |
| Air force | Royal Air Force (1927–30) Royal Australian Air Force (1931–45) |
| Battles | Inter-war
World War II |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
Albert Aubrey (Aub) Koch, MBE (2 October 1904 – 21 June 1975) was a pioneering Australian military and civil pilot. 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 afterwards, 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. 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.