The late Mike Jackson, previously the Deputy Head of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment at the time of Bloody Sunday in Derry, 1972, has passed away at 80 years old. On January 30, 1972, as a Captain and the adjutant of the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment, Jackson was present when British troops fired on and killed 13 unarmed individuals in Derry. He drew up a “shot list” that evening that claimed those shot were either bombers or armed gunmen.
This list was disclosed during the 2003 Saville Tribunal, an investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday. The investigation discovered that none of those shot were bearing arms. During the tribunal, Jackson vehemently denied accusations that he had any role in altering or concealing what happened that day. Despite being based on Rossville Street during the shooting, he asserted and claimed he didn’t directly witness anyone being shot.
Additionally, Jackson was serving as a captain in the Parachute Regiment at the time of the Ballymurphy massacre in August 1971, which saw eleven civilians, including a mother of eight and a priest, killed by British soldiers. In a 2019 inquest into this massacre, Jackson was questioned about the lack of a thorough investigation into the deaths that took place over a 36-hour period. Jackson claimed that the Parachute Regiment was in gunfights with the IRA during that week in Ballymurphy, and maintained that both sides were exchanging gunfire.
Following the 2010 release of the Saville Report, Jackson extended a “wholehearted apology”. A later inquest declared that all those killed in Ballymurphy were innocent civilians.
It is with a heavy heart that the news of the passing of General Sir Mike Jackson GCB, CBE, DSO, reached the British army on the 15th October. Known for his eminent service of over four decades, ‘Jacko’, as warmly referred to, was a noteworthy figure. His contribution was invaluable, and his absence will be profoundly felt and his memory will live on. Utrinque Paratus.
Hailing from a military family, General Jackson began serving as an officer after being commissioned from Sandhurst in 1963. He rose to prominence as the chief of the general staff just before the contentious Iraq invasion in 2003, a position he held until 2006. His successor, General Sir Richard Dannatt, took over upon his retirement after his unbroken service of nearly 45 years.
For his “exceptionally triumphant command and leadership during active operations” in Kosovo, he was honoured with a DSO (Companion of the Distinguished Service Order). Additionally, his fourth star was to mark his rise as the commander-in-chief, United Kingdom Land Command.
The Parachute Regimental Association paid tribute, conveying that General Jackson was a “remarkable leader of men” and will be “fondly remembered by many”.