Born in India to Irish parents, he led campaigns in the Congo in the 1960s that earned him fame at the time, and a controversial legacy years later.
[...]
After serving in the British Army during the Second World War and reaching the rank of major, Mr Hoare began his post-war career as an accountant, running several small businesses in South Africa.
But it was in 1961 that he was introduced to Moïse Tshombe — a Congolese politician and businessman who would go on to become prime minister of the Congo three years later.
In 1964, Mr Tshombe hired Mr Hoare to take on the communist-backed Simba rebellion.
When the campaign was completed 18 months later, Mr Hoare and his unit of mercenaries — which he nicknamed the “Wild Geese” — were internationally known.
His fervent anti-communist beliefs earned him no fans in many nations, with East German radio regularly describing him as “that mad bloodhound Hoare”. This led to him being nicknamed “Mad Mike” — a moniker with which he was delighted.
In 1978, a mercenary adventure film called The Wild Geese was released. The film starred Richard Burton as Colonel Allen Faulkner, a character based heavily on Mr Hoare.
[...]
Mr Hoare spent his final years in South Africa, and published several memoirs — including Mercenary, The Road to Kalamata, and The Seychelles Affair.
The Road to Kalamata is available on Kindle. Congo Mercenary, The Road to Kalamata, and The Seychelles Affair are all available on Audible.
I have Congo Mercenary in my library, and I’ve read The Seychelles Affair, and I keep meaning to track down his other books.
A colourfull character and interesting man.
As a child in South Africa, I remember a friend of the family being mentioned as a former member of 5 Cdo, but I was too young to remember the details