The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Paymaster-Lieutenant D. S. MacFarlan, Royal Australian Naval Voluntary Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy as a Coast Watcher in action against enemy forces at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, during the period from 1 May 1942 to 1 October 1942. The intrepidity and unselfish devotion to duty displayed by Paymaster-Lieutenant MacFarlan reflect highest credit upon himself and the Allied Forces. (A complete citation of the actions for which award to this officer is cannot be published at this time for reasons of a military secrecy).
NOTE: No evidence of a subsequent complete citation is available. Paymaster-Lieutenant MacFarlan was a Coast Watcher (Project Ferdinand). He manned an outpost on Gold Ridge overlooking Lunga Point on Guadalcanal for the period specified in his citation, reporting daily on Japanese activity.