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| World War One Air Ace and Hero |
By James Patton
Arthur Henry “Harry” Cobby (1894–1955) was born in Prahran, Melbourne, one of four sons of Arthur E. S., a tram conductor, and Alice Cobby (née Nash). Harry was educated at University College, Armadale, Perth. At age 18 he received a militia commission in the 46th Infantry (Brighton Rifles), based at Elsternwick, Melbourne and was later transferred to the 47th Infantry, which was disbanded in early 1914.
After the First World War began he was eager to join the new Australian Imperial Force (AIF), but his employer, the Commonwealth Bank, refused to release him. Two years later circumstances had changed, and in October 1916 he was allowed to join the Australian Flying Corps (AFC), despite having little prior experience with aircraft. He was posted to the AFC Central Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria, where he completed his training in December 1916 with just 30 minutes of solo flying in his log. Still a 2nd lieutenant, he was then assigned as a founding member of No. 4 Squadron, AFC, which would go on to claim 199 victories in the skies over the Western Front, the most of any AFC squadron.
No. 4 arrived in England in March 1917. More training ensued, as well as type familiarization. By December, having learned to fly the Sopwith Camel, they were in France. Although their training had ended, Cobby—who at this point had just 12 solo hours himself—said that the squadron was made up of novices. He later admitted to being so nervous about the prospect of going into combat that "if anything could have been done by me to delay that hour, I would have left nothing undone to bring it about."
In February 1918, he got the first of his claimed 29 kills (plus 13 balloons, which were not counted as kills by the AFC), which proved to be the highest score achieved by a member of the AFC. Two Australians flying Sopwith Triplanes with with the Royal Naval Air Service had higher scores, Capt. Robert Little (1895–1918) with 47 and Maj. Roderic “Stan” Dallas (1891–1918) with 39. Both were killed within six days of each other in 1918.
By May 1918, Cobby was an experienced combat airman, having flown extensively against various enemy aircraft, including von Richthofen’s Flying Circus (he shot down two JG.I Albatros V’s), and participated in low-level attacks during the March offensive.
On 25 May 1918, Cobby, already a flight leader, was promoted to captain. Described as "an imp of mischief," he personalized his Sopwith Camel by decorating it with caricatures of comic actor Charlie Chaplin and adopting various flashy paint schemes, although he claimed that these were "not for conceit, but for safety," as he wanted to avoid being shot down by his own side. He again scored two kills in one day on 30 May near Estaires, an Albatros and an observation balloon, and repeated this feat the next day. Earlier he had been responsible for No. 4's first balloon kill—at Merville earlier in May. These large observation balloons, nicknamed Drachen (dragons), were a valuable target and thus well protected by fighter cover and anti-aircraft guns.
He was recommended for the Military Cross (MC) on 3 June 1918 in recognition of his combat success and for being a "bold and skilful Patrol Leader, who is setting a fine example to his Squadron." The award was upgraded to a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on 2 July. He never actually got an MC.
Cobby shot down three German aircraft on 28 June and was recommended for a bar to his DFC, highlighting his triple-ace tally of 15 victories. On 15 July 1918, he and another pilot engaged five Pfalz scouts near Armentières, Cobby accounting for two of the enemy aircraft and his companion for one. The Australians were then pursued by four Fokker Triplanes but managed to evade them. This action earned him a second bar to his DFC, the citation noting that he had scored 21 kills to date and had "succeeded in destroying so many machines by hard work and by using his brains, as well as by courage and brilliant flying." The two bars to his DFC were both gazetted on 21 September.
Meanwhile, on 16 August, Cobby led a bombing raid against the German airfield at Haubourdin, near Lille, the largest aerial assault by Allied forces up until then, resulting in 37 enemy aircraft being destroyed. The following day he led a similar attack on Lomme airfield and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Gazetted on 2 November, the citation read "The success of these two raids was largely due to the determined and skilful leadership of this officer."
In September, Cobby returned to England to be an instructor. His exploits had been widely reported in Australia. At the Commonwealth Bank, reports of his courage and flying prowess were met with pride. Cobby, in writing to the bank’s house organ Bank Notes, was more modest about his successes. He said that he was, "more to be congratulated on being alive than doing anything special, as the whole AFC strive after good results, and of course some go west, and those that live reap the benefits of the whole."
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| Portrait at the Australian War Museum |
Cobby led the AFC fly-past over London on ANZAC Day 1919 before his return to Australia in May 1919. Still widely known at home, he became the face of the AFC, and a William McInnes portrait of him was commissioned for display at the new Australian War Museum. The Commonwealth Bank, in recognition of his distinguished war service, had letters of welcome sent to him from each of its state branches. The bank claimed that his great successes were not unexpected "for we were all well aware that his temperament and courage eminently fitted him for distinction as a daring and successful aviator."
In 1921, he became a founding member of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He was a full-time flying officer, commanding No. 1 Squadron, and eventually rose to the rank of wing commander in 1933 before reverting to reserve status in 1936.
He joined the Australian Civil Aviation Board as it’s Controller of Operations. As such, he had responsibility for aircraft inspections, licenses and airworthiness certificates, maintenance of radio and meteorological services, and RAAF liaison. The board was reorganized as the Department of Civil Aviation in November 1938, and he was eventually made redundant. Throughout this period he had been a regular contributor to aviation magazines such as Australian Airmen and Popular Flying. Later, in 1942, he published High Adventure an account of his WWI service.
In September 1939, the RAAF called back him back to active duty as a group captain. He was first assigned to head up recruiting, then given an area command. He was promoted to air commodore in July 1943. On 7 September of the same year, he was traveling as a passenger on a PBY Catalina when it crash-landed near Townsville, Queensland. Although injured, he helped rescue two other survivors and was recommended for the George Medal for his "outstanding bravery," which was gazetted on 10 March 1944. Also, in the 1944 Birthday Honours, the king made Cobby a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
In August 1944 he was appointed air officer commanding, 1st Tactical Air Force, the only RAAF combat command of its size (25,000 men) in the war. This role he found to be increasingly untenable due to his getting orders from the RAAF High Command, the U.S. 13th Air Force, and even U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific Area Command. Cobby likened his position to that of the farcical Gilbert & Sullivan character The Duke of Plaza Toro.
In April 1945, based out of Morotai Island (today a part of Indonesia), Cobby faced the resignations of eight of his best pilots, including the RAAF’s leading ace, Group Capt. Clive Caldwell DSO DFC+1 (1911–1994), who was also the leading WWII ace in the P-40. He was the commander of the RAAF No. 1 Fighter Wing, which was made up of three squadrons of the highly prized Spitfire XVCs. Caldwell and his pilots were annoyed at flying dangerous operations against what they considered to be "senseless unimportant ground targets." Known as the "Morotai Mutiny," the episode resulted in Cobby being relieved due to "low morale." After additional complaints and a drawn-out investigation, he was cashiered in August 1946.
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| World War Two Air Commander |
Australian historian (and former RAAF pilot) Alan Stephens PhD OAM has written: “No Australian airman's experience better illustrates the tensions between 'command', 'leadership' and ‘heroism’ … the qualities that make a hero do not easily translate into those needed by a commander, although they are likely to engender leadership." Stephens also described Cobby’s cashiering as "a personal and institutional tragedy that a genuinely great figure in RAAF history had to end his career in such circumstances.”
That notwithstanding, in 1948, as recognition for his wartime service to the U.S., Cobby received the U.S. Medal of Freedom (a non-military award, superseded in 1962 by the Presidential Medal of Freedom). The citation states that from September 1944 to January 1945, he displayed "exceptionally sound judgement and far sighted planning...and materially assisted in support of the operations in the Philippine Liberation Campaign."
Meanwhile, he had rejoined the Department of Civil Aviation, where he was a regional director (1947–54) and director of flight operations until he was stricken at work and died in Melbourne on Armistice Day 1955. He was still a national hero and was accorded full military honors at his burial.
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