THE PRO PATRIA PROJECT

HARKNESS, Donald Ernest

PI 37707, Group, Royal Naval Air Service

CITATION

Distinguished Service Cross

Gazetted 8 September 1916, Supp 12983, p1602

In recognition of their services on the morning of the 9th August, 1916, when they dropped bombs on the airship sheds at Evere and Berchem St. Agathe. Flight Sub-Lieut. Collett dropped all his bombs on the shed at Evere from a height of between 300 and 500 feet, under very heavy rifle, machine-gun and shrapnel fire from all directions. Flight Sub-Lieut. Harkness could not descend so low owing to the very heavy antiaircraft fire which had by this time been opened on the machines, but he dropped some of his bombs on the shed, and then proceeded to Berchem St. Agathe, which he also bombed.

KNOWN AWARDS

Distinguished Service Cross

British War Medal

Victory Medal

NOTES

Born 27 August 1894 New Zealand

Died 12 December 1929 Milford Beach, Auckland, New Zealand

Buried Purewa Cemetery, Meadowbank, Auckland, New Zealand (Block E Row 38 Plot 082A)