Although it was starships that first drew me to the Traveller roleplaying game (RPG) in the late 1970s, the Mercenary career has also long drawn my attention. David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers books were, of course, a primary inspiration. Back in 2023 I discussed one book, Congo Mercenary by Mike Hoare, in my post “History to Wargame 23-2: Congo Mercenary Traveller.” Now with a second book in hand I want to look again at these two biographies about real-life mercenaries that are both incredibly interesting reads as well as full of inspiration for RPG campaigns, adventures, and play.
Mike Hoare, Congo Mercenary (Greenhill Books, 2022)
Originally published in 1967, Congo Mercenary is a firsthand memoir written by “Mad Mike” Hoare that recounts his command of foreign volunteers (‘mercenaries’) in the Congo between 1964 and 1965. Hoare led a unit called ‘5 Commando’ that was involved in some of the most important battles in that time. As such, Hoare describes the conflict in very personal terms. He also does not avoid the horrendous reality; the brutality and horrors of a counterinsurgency campaign where terror, rape, murder, and death were just another tool in the enemies—and sometime allies—kit.
Beyond the book Congo Mercenary, the story of Mike Hoare is exceedingly interesting. As mentioned in my 2023 post, Hoare was the technical adviser on the 1978 film The Wild Geese based on the novel by the same name. Hoare also commanded a failed coup d’état in the Seychelles in November 1981 for which he served 33 months in prison. He died of natural causes in 2020 at the age of 100.
From an RPG campaign or adventure perspective, there are many possible plot hooks to be found in Congo Mercenary. Some are unit-level and suitable for a mass-combat scale situation while others are highly suitable for small teams or parties. One key takeaway, however, from all the battles in Congo Mercenary is that death is omnipresent. Death of soldiers. Death of rebels. Death of politicians. Death of civilians. Death of women and children and babies. While Hoare provides plenty of details on combat, he also leaves the reader with a strong feeling of moral ambiguity. Perhaps that can feed a mercenary RPG campaign too.
Al J. Venter, Gunship Ace: The Wars of Neall Ellis, Helicopter Pilot and Mercenary (Casemate Publishing, 2011/2021)
Whereas Mike Hoare in Congo Mercenary relates the mercenary experience at the unit-leadership level. Al J. Venter in Gunship Ace focuses more on an individual—Neall Ellis. Starting off as a pilot in the South African Air Force, Ellis became, “the world’s best-known mercenary combat aviator” (Venter, back cover). Over the course of forty-plus years, Ellis flew combat helicopters from Angola to the Balkans to the Congo to Sierre Leone to Iraq to Borneo to Afghanistan to Tanzania and Nigeria.
An RPG player could view Gunship Ace as an extended narrative backstory of a mercenary character. The story is intensely personal. Not only does the book describe battles but when doing so it often adds in many personal, even candid, insights. Gunship Ace is most useful first in fleshing out a character at a personal level and second as plot hook or adventure/campaign inspiration.
Feature image “Mercenaries in the Angola civil war” via STR/EPA
The opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author alone and are presented in a personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Navy or any other U.S. government Department, Service, Agency, Office, or employer.
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