Sir Charles Edward Webb Jones, (25 September 1936 – 14 May 2007) was a senior officer in the British Army. He served as Quartermaster-General and as Britain's military representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). He retired from the Army in 1995 to become Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (or simply Black Rod) in the British Parliament's House of Lords, serving in that office until 2001. Early life and education Jones was born in Altrincham in Cheshire. His father was General Sir Charles Phibbs Jones. Uniquely, he and his father were the only father and son to be members of the Army Board during the 20th century. He was educated at Portora Royal School in Enniskillen. He went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, intending to pursue a career in the Diplomatic Service, but left after only 10 days to join the Army instead. Career Jones attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he won the Infantry Sword of Honour, and was commissioned as an officer in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in 1956. He served in operations against EOKA in Cyprus. In 1962, Jones commanded the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) Guard of Honour for Queen Elizabeth II at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, when the 43rd and 52nd colours were marched for the last time. He served in Malaysia, countering incursions by Indonesia into northern Borneo, in the early 1960s. Jones was adjutant of the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) whilst the regiment was stationed in Penang and on operations in the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation.[2] His regiment became the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) in 1958, and was merged into The Royal Green Jackets in 1966, becoming its 1st Battalion. He took command of the 1st Battalion for a tour in South Armagh in 1974/75, and was mentioned in despatches. During his period of command, the internal operations of his battalion were exposed to public scrutiny in Edward Mirzoeff's film, The Regiment. He also served with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus in 1976. In the late 1970s, he was the colonel in charge of MO4, the office at the Ministry of Defence responsible for Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, when Airey Neave was murdered by a bomb at the House of Commons car park, and Provisional Irish Republican Army detainees undertook hunger strikes. Jones attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in