In 1984, Koch attended a reunion at the age of 99!
Koch shipped out to England in 1914 with the 1st Division Cavalry of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Koch was wounded on 1916-10-22 whilst serving as an observer with 6Sqn. He was wounded again in 1918. Koch died sometime in 1985.
Koch, Alfred Michael (Lieutenant)
Survived 1916-October-22
Birth Date: 1894-January-25
Born: Arosa, Graubünden, Switzerland (moved to Canada age 4)
Parents: John Koch & wife not mentioned in the record.
Spouse: not found
Home: Vancouver, B.C.
Enlistment: Valcartier, Quebec: 1st Div. Cavalry, CEF
Enlistment Date: 1914-September-23
Decorations: MC
Service
RAF
Unit
70 (F) Sqn- Squadron (RFC)
Base
France
Rank
Lieutenant
Position
observer, later pilot
Service Numbers
2077
Home
Vancouver, B.C.
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Crew or Other Personnel
Camel C1672
Camel serial: C1672
By unknown RAF photographer - gallery link image link, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8473883
The Sopwith Camel became the most successful British fighter of the First World War. The Sopwith F.1 and 2F.1 Camel first went into operations on the Western Front in 1917 and then served in virtually every theatre of Royal Flying Corps (RFC), Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and Royal Air Force (RAF) service. Several Canadian aces used the Camel as their mount. The Camel was very manoeuvrable, and it could be tricky to fly in the hands of a novice pilot. For experienced pilots, however, the aircraft proved to be a superb fighter.
The Camel's machine-guns were mounted on the forward fuselage with their breeches enclosed in a faired metal cowling "hump" that gave the Camel its name. Several Camels were also shipped to Canada in the post-war period as part of an Imperial gift. Three registered Sopwith F.1 Camels entered service with the RCAF at Camp Borden in 1924. The following year, the RCAF purchased seven additional aircraft to provide further spares for the active aircraft. These latter aircraft were in fact 2F.1 models that had been "navalized" variants. Used primarily by wartime experienced fighter pilots for refresher training, the Camels lasted another five years before finally being scrapped. Wikipedia
Sopwith Camel
Wikipedia Sopwith Camel
Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Sopwith Camel - Kestrel Publications