John Peters: Congo Mercenary, Part One

 Prior to joining 5 Commando in 1964, John Peters served in the British Army and the SAS and reached the rank of NCO. Peters emigrated to South Africa and shortly after would enlist in 5 Commando under Col. Mike Hoare. Peters was one of the few that was a professional soldier, something that Hoare wanted in his outfit, and once Peters proved his competence, Col. Hoare put him in charge of the platoon 57th Commando. Peters' first task was the hostage rescue at Kindu, in the Congo, where 250 white hostages were being held by the Simba Rebels.

57 Commando completed their task rather successfully and Col. Hoare would go on to give Peters the rank of Lieutenant. Peters' 57 Commando and Hoare's 5 Commando were instrumental during Operation Dragon Rouge, helping the Belgian paratroopers take the city of Stanleyville back from rebel hands. Col. Hoare had 2 strict rules that Peters would disobey, no looting or plundering, and no killing unarmed combatants. During the liberation of Stanleyville, Peters and his men from 57 Commando would blow open safes and take any valuables they came across.

They would kill any Simbas in their path, unarmed or otherwise, and they kept a stock of spears in their jeeps to place in the slain Simba's hands after taking their lives. Toward the end of 1964, Peters would take charge of 54 Commando alongside 57 Commando, something Col. Hoare wanted to make sure Peters could handle,  before Mike's eventual departure from the Congo. In the beginning of 1965, Col. Hoare launched Operation White Giant, where 5 Commando, along with 14 Commando leading 700 Katangese soldiers, headed northeast to deal with Simba supply routes coming from Sudan and Uganda.By this point, Peters attained the rank of Captain and was the leader of 100 men, known as Force John-John. Force John-John was able to decimate Simba forces and with those successes came the promotion of Major. Peters was in Niangara when one of his personal bodyguards shot and killed a local Congolese Sergeant, causing serious tension with the Congolese Government. Col. Hoare ordered Peters to surrender his command and leave the Congo.