General Sir Mike Jackson, a former British army chief who commanded troops in the 2003 Iraq war, has died aged 80.
The former chief of the General Staff died on Tuesday surrounded by his family.
Jackson, who was given the nickname “The Prince of Darkness” for his calm demeanor and raspy voice, also served in senior command positions in Kosovo during the 1990s.
The British Army wrote in
“Common 'Jacko' served with distinction for over 40 years and ended his career as Chief of the General Staff.
“He will be greatly missed and remembered for a long time. Utrinque Paratus.”
Born into an armed forces family, Jackson was commissioned into the Army as a Sandhurst officer in 1963.
He transferred to the Parachute Regiment in 1970, served on several tours in Northern Ireland and commanded the regiment's 1st Battalion between 1984 and 1986. A father of three, he also served in Bosnia.
In 1989, while holding the rank of brigadier, he spent six months at the University of Cambridge as a service fellow at the Wolfson Faculty. He completed his thesis just weeks before the fall of the Berlin Wall.
As an adjutant with the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, he was present on Bloody Sunday of 30 January 1972 in Derry when paratroopers shot dead 13 Roman Catholic men during a civil rights march.
Jackson apologized fully for the 2011 shootings and acknowledged that the men had been killed “without justification” following the publication of the Saville inquiry report, which called the incident a “catastrophe” for Northern Ireland.
He was appointed chief of the General Staff a month before the controversial invasion of Iraq and served until 2006.
Jackson was succeeded by the common Sir Richard Dannatt and retired from the army after serving for almost 45 years.
He was awarded a DSO (Companion of the Distinguished Service Order) for his “highly successful command and leadership during active operations” in Kosovo, and a fourth star to become Commander-in-Chief of UK Land Command.
The Parachute Regiment Association said he was a “great leader of men” who “will be missed by many.”