“Mad Mike” Hoare died on February 2nd
The commander of the “Wild Geese” mercenaries in Congo was 100
WHEN HE WAS back in civvy street, Mike Hoare was an accountant. It may have been a liking for neat columns on a page that made him so insistent on a trim troop. As the man in charge of 5 Commando, he did not tolerate beards or swearing. The men’s hair had to be as short as his own, barely showing below the black beret—which, combined with his wiriness and hawkishness, gave him a decent resemblance to Montgomery of Alamein. On Sundays, boots cleaned, they lined up for church parade.
This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “Living dangerously”
Obituary February 22nd 2020
From the February 22nd 2020 edition
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