Brendan Jackson
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Brendan Jackson GCB
(23 August 1935 - 19 November 1998) was a Royal Air Force
officer who became Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command
.
and the University of London
, Jackson joined the Royal Air Force
on a National Service
Commission in 1956. As a junior officer, he successfully ejected from a Victor B2
which became uncontrollable during a night training exercise on 20 March 1963. Jackson also became a qualified interpreter. He was appointed Officer Commanding
No. 13 Squadron in 1966 and went on to be Station Commander at RAF Marham
in 1977. He was made Director of Air Staff Plans at the Ministry of Defence
in 1979 and then Assistant Chief of Staff (Policy) at SHAPE
in 1984. He went on to be Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Strike Command
in 1986 and Air Member for Supply and Organisation
in 1988.
He wrote a paper entitled "Nuclear Forces - The Ultimate Umbrella" in 1991, in which he wrote that Third World nuclear proliferation was even "more chimerical" (i.e. of greater concern) than the threat from Russian nuclear weapons. He retired in 1993.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Brendan Jackson GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(23 August 1935 - 19 November 1998) was a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer who became Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
.
RAF career
Educated at Chichester High School For BoysChichester High School For Boys
Chichester High School for Boys, often referred to as CHSB, is a community school, with specialist status of Business and Enterprise College, for boys aged 11 to 18 located in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England...
and the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Jackson joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
on a National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
Commission in 1956. As a junior officer, he successfully ejected from a Victor B2
Handley Page Victor
The Handley Page Victor was a British jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers that provided Britain's nuclear deterrent. The other two V-bombers were the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. Some aircraft...
which became uncontrollable during a night training exercise on 20 March 1963. Jackson also became a qualified interpreter. He was appointed Officer Commanding
Officer Commanding
The Officer Commanding is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit , principally used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. In other countries, the term Commanding Officer is applied to commanders of minor as well as major units.Normally an Officer Commanding is a company, squadron or battery...
No. 13 Squadron in 1966 and went on to be Station Commander at RAF Marham
RAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
in 1977. He was made Director of Air Staff Plans at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1979 and then Assistant Chief of Staff (Policy) at SHAPE
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
in 1984. He went on to be Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
in 1986 and Air Member for Supply and Organisation
Air Member for Supply and Organisation
The Air Member for Supply and Organisation was the senior Royal Air Force officer responsible for procurement matters: he was a member of the Air Force Board...
in 1988.
He wrote a paper entitled "Nuclear Forces - The Ultimate Umbrella" in 1991, in which he wrote that Third World nuclear proliferation was even "more chimerical" (i.e. of greater concern) than the threat from Russian nuclear weapons. He retired in 1993.