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Catto , Christopher Bruce (C B)

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Photo of Catto
Identity
Person No.
29710
Old ROH no.
1721
Service No.
76237734BG
Last Name
Catto 1
First Name
Christopher Bruce
Initials
C B
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1960 (±1 yr) 421
Age at Death
20
Death Record
Date of Death
25 October 1980 177
Cause code
FF 52
Friendly fire
Cause of Death
Died in Shooting Incident 290
Died in Shooting Incident, in Sector 10. Friendly fire
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Regiment
5 South African Infantry Battalion 98
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,874
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,879
Locality
KwaZulu-Natal 1,589
Cemetery
DURBAN (OVERPORT) (OLD ST. THOMAS) CEMETERY 3
Grave Reference
Ashes at Memorial Wall, St Thomas Church, Ridge Rd, Durban 1
Coordinates
-29.84134, 30.99567 OSM
Memorial
1980 Army (Abel–Ralikwatha). Photograph: South African War Graves Project.
Names on 1980 Army Abel-Ralikwatha
Memorial
SADF Wall of Remembrance
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
1980 Army Abel-Ralikwatha
On the panel
1980 Army. Left column. 22nd name from the top (Catto C.B.)
Memorial
The Wayside Cross, with its 1914-1919 and 1939-1945 Roll of Honour plaques. Source: Pinetown Roll of Honour, Pinetown Museum (Hazel England).
Names on 1980-1988 Bush War
Memorial
Wayside Cross
Location
Pinetown Library grounds, Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal
Address
67 Josiah Gumede (Old Main) Road, Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Coordinates
-29.8148, 30.8605 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
1980-1988 Bush War
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Part of
Infantry Formation (SAAIF) — Motorised Infantry — Regular
Notes

Son of Mr. T. B. Catto, of Kloof. On Pinetown, Kwazulu Natal Memorial

Research notes

SADF Wall of Remembrance (Voortrekker Monument): named on photograph "1980 Army (Abel–Ralikwatha). Photograph: South African War Graves Project.". 1980 Army. Left column. 22nd name from the top (Catto C.B.).
13 Sep 2026: Pinetown Roll of Honour confirms exactly by date: Cpl C.B. Catto, died in the operational area 25-10-1980, attended Durban High School (1st team cricket and rugby), Kloof resident. Their unit "8 SAI Bn" conflicts with this record's Regiment (5 South African Infantry Battalion) -- not resolved. Named on the Wayside Cross, Pinetown.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Army".

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 2
by Grant Whitehead on 08 December 2009 · via source
My Brother Rifleman IR Whitehead was wounded in the same incident as the death of Corporal Chris Catto. He never really recovered from his experiences during the border war and passed away in 2005. The sad part is that there are so many unseen and unheard stories of the issues of Post traumatic stress syndrome that was a definate cause of my brothers demise many years after the incident took place. Corporal Catto was a member of 5 SAI and the incident happened in 1980.
by D Austin on 13 January 2015 · via source
Died in a Shooting Incident, in Sector 10. Corporal Catto was shot by one of his own platoon when he heard something moving outside his TB. He shot at it and someone woke up, turned around and shot Corporal Catto. Roy Evans did basics at 5SAI in 1979. (He was from Boston) Sadly as a consequence of this incident during his time on the border he never really was able to get this incident out of his mind. He passed away some 3 years ago in 2011.
Dedications

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