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  Captain Barry Creig Donald enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 13th February 1958. After service in Malaya he was commissioned on 6th June 1961 and subsequently qualified as an Army Pilot and flying instructor. He arrived in South Vietnam on 27th August 1968.

As the Fixed Wing Section Commander and flying instructor he has operated under arduous operational flying conditions. He has continually sought to improve the flying standards of his pilots and has wisely guided new and inexperienced rotary and fixed wing pilots in their operational tasks. Captain Donald has developed and taught operational procedures that have greatly improved the support provided by his unit to the 1st Australian Task Force.

On the 26th October 1969 Captain Donald accurately adjusted artillery fire on to an occupied enemy bunker system. To ascertain the effectiveness of the fire he then flew his aircraft low over the target for a considerable period of time. On finding further enemy in the camp he maintained close surveillance, exposing himself to fire until such time as he could direct Vietnamese troops onto the objective.

Captain Donald has regularly flown all types of missions in fixed wing aircraft and acted as an observer in rotary wing aircraft on every possible occasion. He has demonstrated an outstanding ability as a reconnaissance pilot and as an artillery observer. In his determination to carry out these tasks he has repeatedly flown his aircraft low over occupied enemy installations with the result that his aircraft has been hit by ground fire on a number of occasions.

By his skill, leadership and disregard for his own personal safety when seeking out the enemy, Captain Donald has been an inspiration to the members of his unit.

* Text of citation copied from original recommendation for " Honours & Awards" dated 27 November 1969.

Note: On the evening of 3 December 1969 Barry Donald was flying Porter A14-686, with Alan Jellie as his passenger. The aircraft took ground fire and crashed at the edge of the Binh Ba Rubber Plantation. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.  

On 3rd June 1998, a Vietnam “End of War List” was announced by the Australian Government, in that “End of War List” Barry Donald was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (Posthumously).