Andrew Hudson - Four Ball, One Tracer: Commanding Executive Outcomes in Angola and Sierra Leone

Co-published in 2012 by

Helion & Company Limited

26 Willow Road

Solihull

West Midlands

B91 1UE

England

Tel. 0121 705 3393

Fax 0121 711 4075

email: info@helion.co.uk

website: www.helion.co.uk

&

30 South Publishers (Pty) Ltd.

16 Ivy Road

Pinetown 3610

South Africa

email: info@30degreessouth.co.za

website: www.30degreessouth.co.za

Designed & typeset by Kerrin Cocks

Cover design by Justin & Kim Zimmerman

Printed by Gutenberg Press Limited, Tarxien, Malta &

Pinetown Printers (Pty) Ltd, Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Text, maps & diagrams Andrew Hudson, 2012

Photographs Roelf van Heerden, Hendri Engelbrecht & Attie Strydom

Maps & diagrams by Kim Zimmerman

Front cover images courtesy of Roelf van Heerden & Andrew Hudson

ISBN 978-1-920143-66-4 (South Africa)

ISBN 978-1-907677-76-2 (UK)

EPUB ISBN: 9781908916792

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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for civil and criminal damages.

For Dee, Vicki, Chantelle, Lindsay and Sharon. And for soldiers within whose souls the warrior spirit is kindled.

Andrew Hudson

*****

For my beloved Gerda, who was tragically murdered during one of my absences. For Rudolph Mauritz and Emile, my sons, whose fortitude and sacrifices enabled me to undertake such adventures; and for Amoret, who was born during the advance on Cafunfu, Angola, and who had to learn what a father was every time I returned home. Also for Loraine, for understanding and giving me the space to ponder the past. To all my mates who, whilst pursuing the same path as I did, often paid the highest price. I salute you. May our shared exploits remain as close and as dear to us all as our comradeship.

What an adventure! Long live EO!

Roelf van Heerden

The coup dtat, the RUF and the civil war

Photo section 1

Photo section 2

Photo section 3

Photo section 4

Photo section 5

Photo section 6

Photo section 7

A wise man once told me that there are usually three sides to every storymy side, your side and the truth. This book represents Roelf van Heerdens recollections of his time as a member of Executive Outcomes and, whilst time and age do affect ones faculties, a substantial effort has been made in ensuring that the events he describes are the truth. Those inaccuracies that may indeed have crept into the text are, therefore, not intended and should rather be ascribed to receding memories and the mists of time. Any factual improvements to the book are of course welcome and, in the interests of a more comprehensive picture of these times, would certainly enjoy serious consideration for inclusion in any future editions.

A word or two about technical matters is perhaps in order here. I have used a convention in the narrative where the full description of a weapon, vehicle or unit is used the first time it is cited, followed directly by its abbreviation in parenthesis. Thereafter the abbreviation alone is used. A glossary of terms and abbreviations is also included and the full description and abbreviations of these and other applicable concepts are included here as well.

The correct spelling of the names of towns, villages and geographic features in Angola and Sierra Leone can be a source of concern. Ever mindful of the fact that the correct spelling of a town or village in Africa is inevitably influenced by a host of factors, I have elected to apply a spelling format that is simple and appears to be commonly used rather than agonize over whether it is the correct spelling or not.

The photographs used in this publication are of differing quality and, rather than include only those images that would be fit for purpose in a glossy production, I have also included those images which Roelf and I believe are required for the sake of the record. The historic record has weighed heavier than visual appeal as a consequence and the reader is asked to bear with these inferior quality photographs as we believe that they are necessary to assist in illustrating Roelfs narrative.

The battle maps represent free-hand graphic images of the various battles as Roelf remembers them and they have been included to assist the reader in visualizing the passage of events as they unfolded in Angola and Sierra Leone. An illustration style which excludes military symbols has specifically been selected as this opens the visual understanding to a wider readership than would have been the case should military symbols alone have been used.

Finally, a word about soldiers and mercenaries. After almost four decades of participation, study, reflection and contemplation of the military I am convinced that in every nation there exists a small group of individuals within whom a unique energy smoulders. This energy, which is both physical and intellectual by nature, manifests itself in times of national adversity and conflict in what can be referred to as the warrior spirit. I also believe that, once fanned, the desire to release this energy repeatedly becomes unquenchable and it transforms each warrior soul forever. And, life thereafter becomes a constant quest for the fulfilment that manifests itself when the flames of the warrior spirit are fanned once more. If this desire is satisfied within the ranks of an acknowledged national military organization, then that individual will find a home there amongst similar souls for as long as the flames can be fanned. Once this is no longer possible within the confines of a national military organization, then that individual moves on, unfettered by physical or mental limitations, and searches for new opportunities to rekindle the embers. Some people call them mercenaries; others refer to them as private military contractors. I believe that such labels ignore the essence of those unique individuals who are imbibed with the smouldering embers of the warrior spirit. This narrative bears testimony to the warrior spirit and it has been a privilege to be part of it.

Unapologetic, unassuming, yet forthright and brutally honest, this is Roelf van Heerdens Executive Outcomes as he lived it.

Andrew Hudson

I am sick and tired of the stories and inaccuracies about Executive Outcomes (EO). Nobody wants to tell the story as it actually happened. Everyone has an angle. So, I have gathered the notes, diaries, photographs and video tapes I kept during my time as a member of EO and called on my good friend and fellow soldier, Andrew Hudson, to lend an ear and assist me in putting together a narrative describing the events that unfolded in Angola and Sierra Leone as I experienced them during those eventful years in the 1990s. This recollection then is a record of my time as a mercenaryor private military contractor or whatever else the armchair critics and sages choose to label mein command of EO forces.