Post-war Career and Legacy
Cobby was officially discharged from the Air Force on 19 August 1946. He was awarded the American Medal of Freedom on 15 April 1948, in recognition of his war service. The citation noted 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". Cobby had rejoined the Civil Aviation Board (by then the Department of Civil Aviation) after leaving the RAAF and served as Regional Director, New South Wales, from 1947 to 1954. He was appointed Director of Flying Operations early the following year.
On Armistice Day, 11 November 1955, Cobby collapsed in his Melbourne office and died later that day of hypertensive cerebrovascular disease at Heidelberg Repatriation General Hospital. His wife and children survived him. On 15 November, he was given a military funeral at St Mary's Church of England, Caulfield, and cremated at Springvale Crematorium.
Harry Cobby's tally of victories in World War I was the highest by a member of the Australian Flying Corps (the top-scoring Australian aces of the war, Robert A. Little and Roderic (Stan) Dallas, flew with the British Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force). His record as an ace wearing the Australian uniform has remained unbeaten. Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, Director General of Civil Aviation from 1946 to 1955 and widely regarded as the "Father of the RAAF", described Cobby as "a man whose personal story is threaded through the entire history of Australian service and civil aviation". One of the aluminium cutouts of Charlie Chaplin that Cobby attached to his Sopwith Camel in World War I later went on show at RAAF Museum, Point Cook, and the tail skid of one of his victims was displayed at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Cobby Street, in the Canberra suburb of Campbell, is named in his honour.
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