Marc Goosens (died 12 November 1968) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

mercenary who fought in the

Yemeni Civil War Yemeni Civil War may refer to several historical events which have taken place in Yemen: *Alwaziri coup, February – March 1948 *Yemeni–Adenese clan violence, 1956–60 *North Yemen Civil War, 1962–70 *Aden Emergency, 1963–67 *South Yemen#Di ...

and served in the army of

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

during the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...

. He was killed by Nigerian forces in

Onitsha Onitsha ( or just ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city located on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. A metropolitan city, Onitsha is known for its river port and as an economic hub for commerce, industry, and education. ...

during Operation Hiroshima.

Life

Goosens served as an officer in the

Belgian Army The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...

and served as a military advisor to the Congolese government during the

Congo Crisis The Congo Crisis (french: Crise congolaise, link=no) was a period of political upheaval and conflict between 1960 and 1965 in the Republic of the Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The crisis began almost immediately after ...

. During the civil war in Yemen, he and other Congo veterans trained royalist rebels. He participated in the

under the command of fellow mercenary

Rolf Steiner Rolf Steiner (born 3 January 1933) is a German retired mercenary. He began his military career as a French Foreign Legion paratrooper and saw combat in Vietnam, Egypt, and Algeria. Steiner rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel commanding the ...

, and he was one of the dozen foreign mercenaries who committed themselves to

, a secessionist country that declared independence from Nigeria. During the unsuccessful attempt led by Welsh mercenary

Taffy Williams David Hugh "Taffy" Williams (28 September 1933 – 7 May 1996) was a Welsh-born South African mercenary who fought for the State of Katanga during the Congo Crisis (1960–1963) and the Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War (196 ...

to retake Onitsha from Nigerian forces, Goosens died after being shot in the liver. Under the title ''Biafra: Final Mission, Paris Match'', a dramatic photo series published by Gilles Caron on November 30, 1968 showed Biafran soldiers carrying the body of Goosens. Goosens is one of the five fallen mercenaries to whom

Frederick Forsyth Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...

dedicates his

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

'' The Dogs of War''. Goosens is said to be the model for the character of the mercenary Marc Vlaminck in Forsyth's novel.Anthony Mockler: ''The new mercenaries''. Corgi Books, London 1986, ISBN 0-552-12558-X, S. 194

References

Literature

* Frederick Forsyth: ''The Biafra Story. The Making of an African Legend''. Barnsley, Yorkshire, England: Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2007, ISBN 978-1-84415-523-1, S. 112–153 * Frederick Forsyth: ''Outsider. Die Autobiographie''. C. Bertelsmann, München 2015, ISBN 978-3-570-10266-4, S. 258–262 * Anthony Mockler: ''The new mercenaries''. Corgi Books, London 1986, ISBN 0-552-12558-X

External links

Fotoserie mit Marc Goosens in Biafra von Gilles Caron
Belgian soldiers Biafra 20th-century Belgian people Belgian mercenaries Military personnel killed in the Nigerian Civil War Belgian expatriates in Nigeria 20th-century births 1968 deaths {{Belgium-mil-bio-stub