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COLONEL ‘MAD MIKE’ HOARE DIES

An officer and a gentleman … with a bit of pirate thrown in (Below is his son’s tribute:

This from Executive Outcome’s Eeben Barlow:

Eeben Barlow

THE SAD PASSING OF ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD HEROES

Sunday, 2 February 2020, was a day that began as many others, and then a message from Chris Hoare changed all of that.

Colonel Mike Hoare, one of the great military legends of our time, had peacefully passed away in his sleep at a care facility in Durban. Col Hoare was 100 years old.

As a boy growing up, I had three childhood heroes: my Dad, ‘Captain Biggles’, and Colonel Mike Hoare. I count myself very fortunate to have met Colonel Hoare—a man whose exploits influenced me greatly as a boy growing up—and as well as being a guest at his 100 birthday.

As his son Chris wrote: “He was an adventurer, soldier, explorer, yachtsman, motorcyclist, safari leader, author, hiker, raconteur, last of breed, and legend. Charming, enigmatic, fearless, proper, and a brilliant leader, ‘Mad Mike’ was an officer and a gentleman – with a bit of brigand thrown in.” What more can be said?

Be at rest Colonel Hoare, your work on earth is done. May you rest in eternal peace.

My thoughts and prayers are with Chris and his family in these dark and difficult days that lie ahead. May you be granted the strength to face the days ahead as your Dad would have wanted you all to do.

A great soldier, and a wonderful man has left our ranks.

I salute you.

The well known adventurer and soldier of fortune, Lt Col ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare, died in his sleep and with dignity aged 100 years at a care facility in Durban on 2 February 2020.

A spokesman for the family and Mike Hoare’s biographer, Chris Hoare, said, “Mike Hoare lived by the philosophy that you get more out of life by living dangerously, so it is all the more remarkable that he lived more than 100 years.

“Most people who met Mike described him as a legend, and as an officer and a gentleman; only a few realised there was a bit of pirate thrown in. Known as ‘Mad Mike’, he was short and dapper, impossibly charming, unaccountably enigmatic, always polite, strangely proper, absolutely sane, good natured, a brilliant leader and an absolute legend …”

Mike Hoare was born in 1919 in India of Irish seafaring stock, and was educated in England. In the British army in WW2, he initially attended a small-arms school and officer training school. Later he saw action at Kohima, India, and in Burma. He was demobilised from the Armoured Corps as major.

He qualified as a chartered accountant in London and emigrated to South Africa in 1948. He graduatedto the African bush, first by doing long-distance mountain hikes, then on motorbikes (Cape Town to Cairo, and Mombasa to Lobito) and later as a safari leader in the Kalahari Desert. In 1961 he commanded a unit of mercenary troops in Katanga. In 1964/5 he led 300 “Wild Geese” in the Congo to suppress a communist-inspired rebel uprising, becoming a household name in many parts of the world.

In 1981 he led a failed coup attempt in the Seychelles, and served nearly three years in South African jails for air piracy. He lived in France for 20 years, making a study of the Cathar phenomenon, before returning to South Africa in 2009.

In 2018 Chris Hoare published an authoritative biography of Mike’s life titled ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare: The Legend. Mike Hoare’s seven published books are available as audio books with Mike reading, fromaudible.com. More information at www.madmikehoare.com

Col. Hoare leaves five children: Chris, Tim, Gerry, Mikey and Simon.

ends

To all SoFers:

Send congratulations to Mike Hoare on his 100th birthday. SoF has followed Hoare’s career since the beginning of SoF in l975. In l984, when Hoare launched an abortive merc operation to seize the Seychelles Islands, SoF’s managing editor at the time, Jim Graves, was in South Africa. The South African press tried to develop a case that some how the magazine was involved in Hoare’s effort! Not true but an early example of fake news.

“I’m listening to “The Seychelles Affair” by Mike Hoare which is about his failed Coup attempt in the Seychelles and he affectionately mentions “Soldier of Fortune magazine based out of Boulder, Colorado” in a grateful manner for helping him raise money for his and his men’s legal bills. He says he reached out to the magazine and was advised to run an add selling his shoulder patch, which he did and he sold 3500 of them for $5! He also went on to say that the people that bought them stayed in touch with his wife through his ordeal and they were very supportive! Mad Mike.” Jerry KRAUS

In 1964-1965, Colonel Mike Hoare led 300 ‘Wild Geese’ across the Congo to crush a communist rebellion, rescue 2 000 nuns and priests, beat Che Guevara … and become a legend. Once described as the “best bloody soldier in the British Army”, Hoare settled in South Africa after World War II living dangerously to get more out of life, including meeting the CIA agent who was to change his life and Nelson Mandela’s. Later he would become technical adviser to The Wild Geese, starring Richard Burton as the lead character based on Hoare, before leading an abortive coup in the Seychelles, which would cost him three years in a South African jail. Now for the first time, the story behind the story can be told as Chris Hoare separates the man from the myth in a way only a son can.

Author

Chris Hoare is a journalist in South Africa and the eldest son of ‘Mad Mike’. Below is an extract from ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare: The Legend, a biography by Chris Hoare, published by Partners in Publishing.

About 250 men from 5 Commando struck out from Bunia on 15 March 1965. Their twin targets were the important town of Aru and the nearby Esebi mission which was now a rebel training centre.

Germani recalled how that night, the column advanced on foot. ‘Hoare was in his best mood as “nothing is as nice as a good march”. Then, the sky opened. A wall of water fell down on us. In pouring rain we ran into a village, but the rebels had fled. We pressed into the abandoned houses. Everything was dripping wet. Hoare allowed three hours’ rest. The freezing men fell to the ground as if dead and slept soundly.

‘A few started a fire and somehow we found we had a large pot of hot tea. “One recognises a good English troop,” the lieutenant-colonel proclaimed, “by the speed with which it manages to make hot tea under the most difficult conditions”.

‘We lay on the ground side by side. The thoroughly soaked commander-in-chief trembled with cold. After all, he was no longer so young. Some soldiers persuaded him to put at least his shoes, trousers and socks near the fire to dry.

‘In the flickering of the flames I saw his sleeping face beside me. There was something innocent and wise about him, like an elderly child. Why this slim man, who could lead a comfortable life in the paradise city of Durban, with his pretty blonde wife, and among valued friends, came here to march through the night and the storm is incomprehensible. He could have led the operation comfortably, as did the high Belgian officers, from a headquarters far behind the lines, or at least from a comfortable vehicle or well-equipped quarters in abandoned villas.

‘But he did not do this. He was always out in front and showed less mercy to himself than to his soldiers. Perhaps it was because this wild band of adventurers, drinkers and similar ilk loved him, although he often treated them like dogs. To the Belgians he was a mystery and magnificent.’

On another occasion, Germani said Mike had discussed politics and literature with him, and recited English verse. ‘Only now did I begin to know this strange man. He was a genuine British officer in his posture and behaviour, but also a genuine Irishman in his recurring sentimentality and his fighting spirit.’

Now 52 Commando was pushing up toward Aba. Griffin recalls, ‘We were driving in a long column of trucks. Tactics were to travel till you got ambushed and then get out and crawl into the ditches, and then thump the rebels. I was pretty nervous in the beginning, actually most of the time. Mike was travelling in the tentacle … (when we got ambushed). We were all lying in the ditches on either side. The shooting was still going on. Mike shouted, “Sergeant, get out my map table.” Mike put the table out in the middle of the road, put his specs on and got the maps out and rather ostentatiously went through the maps – and we all rather sheepishly climbed out of the ditches. I think it was an act, but it was pretty impressive. He was trying to show us to keep a cool head – he put things in perspective.

Meanwhile, the ‘forceful and aggressive’ Mike was flattening all before him. The British Embassy in Leopoldville thought that after taking Aru, Mike was ‘likely to move on to Aba after a pause, and may take two months to do this’. But a jittery document dated 29 March 1965 says, ‘Progress of Hoare’s column now indicates rebel military collapse in Eastern Orientale. Hoare occupied Faradje (beyond Aba) on 28 March and is now moving on Watsa. He is now beyond his original instructions and we do not know from whom he is receiving others. All Congolese Army HQ in Leopoldville can do is nervously endorse faits accomplis. Acting Commander-in-Chief [Bobozo] and (Colonel) Mulamba are reported trying to reach Hoare by helicopter.’

The real reason for the jitters and the helicopter was probably that Watsa had a substantial gold mine, and that the authorities did not want the mercenaries getting their hands on the gold. However, Watsa fell to 5 Commando on 30 March, and the story goes that some South African mercenaries who had gold-mining experience quickly reactivated the mine and produced six 11-kg gold bars. One was given to Mike, no doubt to secure his co-operation. He put it under his bed, treating it somewhat like a hot potato … until it was stolen … to his relief …

5 Commando completed their mission at Niangara, having taken only seven weeks to seal off the north-east.

Now it was time for ‘a 600 km dash across country, behind enemy lines’ which ‘sounded rather romantic’. In due course, the column got to Bili where Johannes Holte, a Norwegian, and his wife Greta were serving as missionaries. On 28 May 1965, the Holtes were marched off into the jungle by a Simba to be beheaded with a panga. Eventually the Simba made them kneel and raise their heads, which they did, but the Simba could not bring himself to do the deed. The Holtes fled, finding their way back to their mission. Johannes Holte later told The Natal Witnessnewspaper in Pietermaritzburg, ‘What a great joy. Our deliverers arrived at last. We met Dr Fleming from Johannesburg, and Mr Paterson and Commander Maiden from Durban at the door of our home. A moment I shall never forget was their leader, Colonel Mike Hoare, coming into our house and welcoming us. It was so good to hear a leader with such a gentle voice. The Lord sent Mike Hoare to save us, he was our miracle.’

Mike was certainly a master in the art of the ‘calm presence’ and always used it to great effect, whether it was in patching up one of his children who had a bloody foot, or, as we have seen, in keeping rescued hostages calm while at the same time getting them out pronto.

Further on, beyond Bondo, Mike himself took the wheel of a ferry for a hazardous river crossing. 55 Commando’s Volunteer Eddie ‘Scribe’ McCabe describes the ensuing events: ‘We went downstream a hundred yards or so and then all hell broke loose. The rebels had lined the bank and as the ferry reached the closest point to their positions they opened up with everything they had. I took cover behind some drums of diesel fuel and started firing. In the middle of this, it suddenly occurred to me that if the person steering the boat were hit we would be in REAL trouble, and I moved so I could see who this was, and it was Mike Hoare. He was really exposed, a lot higher than anyone else with no cover at all and he was bowed down firing with his .45 automatic. Judging by the number of shots he fired in the time I watched him, I would estimate that he fired as many, if not more, shots than most of the men on the ferry.’

On to Buta, but they were too late to save 38 priests from massacre and others from atrocities. By now, Mike had had enough again and told Mobutu so. But Mobutu offered him a family home in Albertville, with sentries, and command of a campaign to rid the Fizi-Baraka area of rebels. Mike accepted and flew south to ‘glorious Durban’ for a month’s leave.

Around this time, Mike was invited by the rector of Michaelhouse to give a formal evening talk to the boys. My main recollection of the talk is that the theme was ‘Be Determined – as with determination you will eventually succeed’.

One of my school friends, Chris James, however, remembered much more and put it like this: ‘For over two hours Colonel Mike Hoare held the entire school of 450 boys and 40 members of staff spellbound, pacing up and down the stage without a note. Like a valiant Crusader returned from the Holy Land, he beguiled us with stories of horror and heroism, adversity and adventure, barbarism and bravery. At question time a forest of hands went up, fingers clicking for attention. There were groans of despair from the staff sitting at the back of the hall, sensing that years of investment in an expensive liberal/Christian education were under threat.

‘When it was sadly all over, the colonel could have filled a battalion with us zealous underage recruits for his next adventure. Such was the power, clarity, inspiration and charisma of his unforgettable address.’

And yes, at question time the liberal schoolmasters took a hostile line, asking such questions as, ‘Do you enjoy killing people?’ and ‘Who gives you the right to go around killing people for money?’

Author bio

Chris Hoare is a journalist in South Africa and the eldest son of ‘Mad Mike’. With unique access to Mike and his story, it took him about 12 years, working between times, to research and write this authoritative and referenced biography.

‘Mad Mike’ Hoare: The Legend, a biography by Chris Hoare, published by Partners in Publishing. The ISBN number is 9780620798617.

TO PURCHASE: Chris Hoare