Son of Norman Frederick and Leonora Cato of Herne Bay, Auckland

Prior to his attachment to HMS Jupiter, Sub-Lieutenant Cato served as a liaison officer in Dutch submarines in the Netherlands East Indies.

Cato was killed when HMS Jupiter struck a mine during the Battle of the Java Sea.

Peter McDermott, who served in 24th Battalion, wrote the following about his job in the Horotiu Freezing Works. He took over from Alan Cato. 'I [Peter McDermott] probably did not realise this as character-building at the time,although I do recall my first Friday night at Horotiu. I was expected to attend a function in the Fellmongery change-room to farewell my predecessor, who was leaving to join the Navy, and to welcome his replacement. I had to stand on a 5-gallon keg and sing a song. As a shy 19-year-old this was something of a torment, but my predecessor helped me out by singing with me. The song was Maxicali Rose. Sadly - so sadly - my predecessor was Alan Cato, an Auckland Grammar boy from Herne Bay, who sailed Zeddy's (Z class) at the Ponsonby Cruising Club and lasted in the Navy barely 18 months before being lost in a submarine off Sumatra.' (McDermott, P. (2003), p. 3). AWMM