David House Lieutenant General Sir David George House ( 8 August 1922 – 14 July 2012 ) was a British Army officer who was General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland during the Troubles , and later held the office of Black Rod . Early life . House was born on 8 August 1922 in Steyning , Sussex , England . He was educated at Regent ' s Park School in London . Military career . On leaving school , House entered the British Army . He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King ' s Royal Rifle Corps on 23 August 1941 . He served in the Italian Campaign . He ended the war as a war substantive captain . On 19 April 1947 , he transferred from an emergency to a regular commission and was promoted to lieutenant from second lieutenant . He was promoted to captain on 8 August 1949 . He commanded the 1st Green Jackets ( 43rd & 52nd ) at Penang from January 1964 to December 1964 and in West Berlin to September 1965 . He served in Borneo during the Indonesia – Malaysia confrontation . He was promoted to colonel on 3 November 1965 , with seniority from 1 July 1964 . From 1965 to 1967 , he commanded 51st Gurkha Brigade in Borneo , during the Indonesian Confrontation . He was promoted to brigadier on 31 December 1966 . From 1967 to 1969 , he was chief of BRIXMIS . From April 1969 to January 1971 , he was Deputy Military Secretary . He was promoted to major - general on 9 June 1971 , with seniority from 1 November 1970 . From 1971 to 1973 Deputy Chief of Staff of the British Army of the Rhine . He left the post of Chief of Staff on 13 August 1973 . He was appointed Director of Infantry on 21 September 1973 , and left the post on 27 May 1975 . On 1 August 1975 , he succeeded Sir Frank King as GOC Northern Ireland , and was promoted to lieutenant general with seniority from 1 January 1975 . His time in command was marked by the ending of a Provisional IRA ceasefire in January 1976 , and a resulting upsurge of violence . He was replaced by Timothy Creasey on 1 November 1977 . House retired from active service on 30 December 1977 . Later life . On 10 January 1978 , he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod , a ceremonial post in the House of Lords . He was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Sir John Gingell on 14 January 1985 . He spent his final years living in North Yorkshire . He died on 14 July 2012 , and is buried in Aldborough , a village near Boroughbridge , North Yorkshire . Personal life . In 1947 , House married Sheila Betty Darwin . Together they had two daughters ; Jennifer and Elizabeth . Honours and decorations . House was awarded the Military Cross ( MC ) on 8 February 1945 " in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy " . On 22 June 1965 , he was Mentioned in Despatches " in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Borneo Territories " . He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire ( OBE ) in the 1964 New Year Honours . 16 May 1967 , he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) " in recognition of Distinguished Services in the Borneo Territories during the period 24 June 1966 to 11 August 1966 " . In the 1975 Queen ' s Birthday Honours , he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath ( KCB ) . In celebration of Elizabeth II ' s Silver Jubilee and birthday on 11 June 1977 , he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( GCB ) . In the 1985 New Year Honours , he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order ( KCVO ) . He was appointed Colonel Commandant of The Light Division on 31 December 1973 in succession to General Sir Anthony Read . On 1 November 1977 , his tenure expired and was succeeded by Lieutenant General Sir Peter Hudson . He was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Small Arms School Corps on 1 December 1974 also in succession to General Sir Anthony Read . He was succeed on 1 September 1977 by the then Major General Timothy Creasey . References .