New Guinea Veteran

Retires from Air

AFTER clocking 17,000 hours in the air, Captain Aubrey Koch retired from active flying in early Septem ber. He was one of the best-known pilots in New Guinea in the thirties, at a time when no better fliers existed than those who mountain-hopped in New Guinea.

He left Guinea Airways to go to Qantas Empire Airways and was with them at the outbreak of the recent war. His wartime service included the famous long range hop from Western Australia to Ceylon and Catalina deliveries over the Pacific. Early in the Pacific war seven Japanese Zeros shot his unarmed flying boat down in flames over the Timor Sea.

With two bullet wounds and a broken leg, he swam four miles to the Timor coast.

He was picked up five days later.

While living soldiers and supplies to New Guinea, he was forced down in the sea near Port Moresby at night. Captain Koch swam for 19 hours —towing a non swimmer against an off-shore current — before a native fishing vessel picked him up.

He has been flyinsr for 25 years—recently with Trans Australian Airlines. He will remain with the company as inspector of air safety.

The elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.

E. Rowe, of Kokopo, New Guinea. Miss Patricia Joan Rowe, is to be married on October 14. in Melbourne, to Mr. John Aikins, of Toorak, Melbourne. Mr. Rowe arrived in Melbourne this month to be present at the happy event.