Tom Harrison; 5 Commando Quartermaster

Tom Harrison, the 48 year old Australian that showed up to the Congo after sailing from Australia, across the Indian Ocean in his 25 ft sloop “Sundowner” singlehandley, would become one of Mike Hoare’s most reliable and trusted men. Tom was a master carpenter and could fix or build nearly anything, most impressively, the particular sloop “Sundowner” was built by Tom back in Australia. Prior to his stint in the Congo, Tom was on his way to Durban, South Africa years prior, and got caught up in and weathered a vicious cyclone near Mozambique that ended up lasting 60 hours and put him 300km off his main trajectory.

 Once he was able to dock in Durban, and by happen chance, Tom had parked right next to Mike Hoare’s 36 ft cutter Colin Archer, and they became fast friends. Mike described Tom as the archetypal Australian bushwhacker; he hated any form of pretense, socializing, fancy restaurants, posh talk, dressing up, and he especially hated unnecessary regulations. Tom served in an Australian infantry regiment in WW2 and fought in the crossing of the Owen-Stanley mountain range from Port Moorsby to Marobi. Mike was not surprised to see Tom show up at Kamina airbase in the Katanga province of the Congo when 5 Commando was initially mustering up the 1,000 recruits and Mike made him a Sargent at once.

  

Training began and the younger recruits didn't take well to Tom, calling him too old, when Mike knew Tom could outlast every one of them. In the field however, their opinions of Tom changed drastically, he taught them how to survive with Bushcraft and how to march cross country with just a compass primarily navigating using the sun and stars. 

Tom's knowledge of rivers, currants and sandbags would be invaluable in the Congo. When Mike and Tom were on the same vessel, Mike would relax his strict rules on uniforms and allow Tom to wear his Captain's yachting cap, a small distinction in which he took great pride. Tom went on a mission to scout out another hostage location after the Liberation of Stanleyville, with only 2 other men. Tom returned with a bullet wound in his calf, and 1 of the men had been killed during their recon. 

        

Mike and Tom gathered 100 men to accompany Tom to rescue the priests and nuns held by Simbas. Tom returned with over 30 dead priests massacred by the Simbas, but luckily found an a convent of nuns and an English woman and her 2 daughters that had hid out while the Simbas slaughtered the missionaries. 5 weeks later Tom's contract in the Congo had ended and he returned to Durban, and Tom had still wanted to sail around the world solo, using his mercenary proceeds to overhaul the Sundowner. Mike was able to visit him while he was on leave from the Congo, and Tom taught him even more about sailing during his visit.