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Paulo , Christiaan Hendrik (C)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
32443
Service No.
78912367SP
Last Name
First Name
Christiaan Hendrik
Initials
C
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
17
Death Record
Cause code
Unknown
Cause of Death
Died in training, Smothered
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Corporal
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,838
South African Defence Force
Location
Awards
Pro Patria Medal
South Africa
Pro Patria Medal warrant, Government Gazette No. 5171 (25 Jun 1976), Rule 5, as amended by GG No. 5575 (3 Jun 1977); discontinued by GG No. 25213 (25 Jul 2003, Schedule corrected by GG No. 26778, 17 Sep 2004) for service on/after 27 Apr 2003. Gazette extracts: https://rohsa.co.za/award.php?id=24
Notes

ref "Die Buffel Struikel" by LJ Bothma

Research notes


Mike Sandham's research log ("List 1"), imported 16 Sep 2026, credited to The South Africa War Graves Project unless his entry says otherwise: gives Age 28 against this record's 17. This record has no date of birth, so there is nothing to adjudicate with. Flagged, not changed.
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 17 Sep 2026: "78912367SP Corporal C Paulo from 32 Battalion was accidentally smothered and suffocated during a Unit training exercise. He was 28." CONFLICT flagged, not changed: this record gives age 17 against Graham's 28, and forenames "Christiaan Hendrik" against Graham's bare initial "C". Given the forward-fill contamination found in FirstName and ServiceNo on 16 Sep, the forenames here deserve a check.
Bushwar Books "Lest We Forget 17 September" (warbooks.co.za/posts/lest-we-forget-17-september/), cross-checked 17 Sep 2026: "78912367SP Corporal C Paulo", age 28 -- agreeing with Graham on BOTH points against this record's 17 and "Christiaan Hendrik". Two sources to one. Flag stands and strengthens.
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 1
by Graham Du Toit on 17 September 2014 · via source
17 Sep 1984: 78912367SP Corporal C Paulo from 32 Battalion was accidentally smothered and suffocated during a training exercise. He was 28.
Dedications

No dedications have been added yet.