The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Navy Award) to Lieutenant Robert H. Balfour, Royal New Zealand Air Force, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as Commanding Officer of Fighter Squadron EIGHTEEN in the Solomon Islands area from 17 October to 27 November 1943 and from 25 January to 10 February 1944. During powerful strikes over Bougainville he shot down three Japanese planes and assisted in the destruction of another, bringing his flight through intact.