ExecutedToday.com » 1941: Josef Jakobs, the last executed in the Tower of London 1941: Josef Jakobs, the last executed in the Tower of London August 15th, 2012 Headsman In its day, the Tower of London has seen off with many an illustrious head .* Its last use as an execution grounds occurred, all but invisibly, on this date in 1941, with the shooting of German spy Josef Jakobs . It’s safe to say that Jakobs won’t be competing with Anne Boleyn in the book sales department any time soon. He was, truth be told, barely a spy at all: parachuted into Huntingdonshire on January 31, 1941 with intent to reconnoiter, the guy was observed in his descent by (undoubtedly excited) local defense volunteers . They raced to the landing point but needn’t have: Jakobs was practically immobile, having broken his ankle upon landing. So that was the end of the espionage mission.

After a secret trial under the Treachery Act of 1940 , Jakobs was shot at a small rifle range where a number of his countrymen and predecessors from the First World War had met their own ends. To: The Constable of H.M. Tower of London. 13th August 1941. Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you that JOSEF JAKOBS, an enemy alien, has been found guilty of an offence against the Treachery Act 1940 and has been sentenced to suffer death by being shot. The said enemy alien has been attached to the Holding Battalion, Scots Guards for the purpose of punishment and the execution has been fixed to take place at H.M. Tower of London on Friday the 15th August 1941 at 7.15am. Sgd. Sir Bertram N. Sergison-Brooke , Lieutenant-General Commanding London District. The Royal Armouries artefacts store still preserves the chair (pdf) Jakobs was strapped to for this historic execution. All subsequent executions of World War II spies took place by hanging at Pentonville Prison or Wandsworth Prison .

* It should be added that the Tower’s bloody reputation correctly associates more with the doomed men and women it held than with actual executions: only a very few, mostly high-ranking, folk actually got the chop in the Tower prior to 20th century spies: people such as Thomas More , Thomas Cromwell , and Monmouth were more commonly put to death at the adjacent (and public) Tower Hill . On this day.. Josef Jakobs 7653216 QMS. B.A. Balment, RAOC. The Charge Josef Jakobs was charged with "Committing treachery in that you at Ramsay in Huntingdonshire on the night of 31 January 1941/1 February 1941 descended by parachute with intent to help the enemy." Josef Jakobs pleaded not guilty to the charge. As the trial was held during the war, the entire trial was conducted in camera. The Witnesses The 1st witness at the trial was Charles Baldock, who was signalled to by Jakobs firing his revolver in the air. Baldock went over to Jakobs who was lying on his back in the field at Dovehouse Farm, Ramsay Hollow.

Baldock then sent his friend, who was walking with him, to fetch help while he remained with Jakobs. When cross-examined by the accused, Baldock stated that Jakobs was unable to move due to his injured leg. The 2nd witness was Harry Coulson, who was walking with Charles Baldock when they were alerted by Jakobs shooting in the air. He then left Baldock with Jakobs, while he went to summon help from the local Home Guard. The 3rd witness was James Harry Godfrey who was a farm labourer, and a member of the Ramsay Platoon Home Guard. When he was summoned by Coulson, he telephoned Ramsay Police Station. He then went with his commanding office, and Coulson, to the field at Dovehouse Farm. After binding Jakobs damaged right leg, he then search Jakobs with his commanding officer (Captain Newton), and his second-in-command (Lieutenant Curedale). They found between ï¿½400 and ï¿½500 in ï¿½1 notes.

He also confirmed finding an attachï¿½ case (exhibit 6), a flying suit (exhibit 7) and a wallet (exhibit 8). The 4th witness was Captain William Henry Newton, who was the Office Commanding Ramsay Company, Home Guard. He confirmed that he had been telephone by Ramsay Police, and then went to Dovehouse Farm, where Jakobs was lying on the ground in civilian clothes under his flying suit (exhibit 7). When asked by Newton who he was, Jakobs stated that he had flown solo from Luxembourg. Jakobs was then taken by a horse and cart to Ramsay Police Station, where he was handed over to the police. At the Police Station, in Newtons presence, Jakobs opened his attachï¿½ case (exhibit 6) which contained a wireless set, headphones, batteries, insulating wire and some sheets of paper. The 5th witness was Sergeant Ernest Pottle, who was an Acting-Sergeant in the Huntingdonshire County Constabulary at Ramsay. He explained that he had received a telephone call, and had gone to Dovehouse Farm.

He had then travelled back with Jakobs, and the Home Guard, to the Police Station at Ramsay. The 6th witness was Detective Sergeant Thomas Oliver Mills, Huntingdonshire County Constabulary, based at Huntingdon. He met Jakobs at Ramsay Police Station. He examined a map (exhibit 9) found with Jakobs, and he noticed that there were pencil marks on the map near a large R.A.F Station, and a satellite R.A.F Station. Both these R.A.F stations were near where Jakobs had landed in the field at Dovehouse Farm. Later on, Det. Sgt. Mills conveyed Jakobs to New Scotland Yard in London, where he was handed over to Major Robinson and Mr. Marriott. The 7th witness was John Hayes Marriott, who was a civil Assistant attached to the General Staff of the War Office. He confirmed receiving Jakobs from Mills, together with the items (exhibits 2-15 and exhibit 18) found with Jakobs. He then handed these items over to Lieutenant-Colonel Hinchley Cooke. He also confirmed that the wireless found with Jakobs was capable of transmitting from England to the continent.

The 8th witness was Lieutenant-Colonel William Edward Hinchley Cooke, OBE, who was on the General Staff of the War Office. He confirmed receiving the items from Mr. Marriott. On 18 June 1941, he questioned Jakobs at New Scotland Yard. Jakobs provided a statement in response to Cookes questions (exhibit 17). On 24 July 1941, at 6.20pm, at Wandsworth Prison, Cooke charged Jakobs under section 1 of the Treachery Act 1940. Cooke, who spoke German, explained to Jakobs the legal procedure that would now follow. He also explained that an interpreter and a legal representative would be provided for Jakobs use at the courts-martial. Jakobs then asked if he would be shot or hanged if found guilty at his trial. Cooke replied that he would be shot, as the trial was being conducted by a military court. Jakobs replied that the others had been hanged. Cooke confirmed this, stating that because their trials had been conducted by civilian courts, they had received the normal civilian sentence.

In his statement to Hinchley Cooke, Jakobs stated that he was born in Luxembourg on 30 June 1898 of German parents. He served in the 4th Foot Guards during World War One from August 1914 to December 1914, when he was discharged for medical reasons. He then served from October 1916 until the end of the war in November 1918, as a Lieutenant in the 4th Foot Guards. He was initially called up in June 1940, but was quickly discharged as there were doubts raised about his civil status, as he had been imprisoned in Switzerland from 1935 to 1937. He admitted to being an officer in the Intelligence Section of the German General Staff. Jakobs went on to say that he had flown from Schipol Airport, Holland, and had parachuted during the night of 31 January-1 February 1941. He was the only passenger on the plane (which had a crew of five), and was intending to be dropped in the Peterborough area. He broke his right ankle, when he was getting out of the plane.

He was dragged through the exit hole in the floor of the plane, bashing his right ankle on the side of the exit hole. He further damaged his right leg on landing, and summoned help by firing shots into the air. The courts-martial found that Jakobs was guilty, and he was sentenced to death by shooting. He petitioned the King, stating that he was a friend of England, and that he had come to this county to help her in her fight against Nazi Germany. He asked to be held until the end of the war, when he would then be able to prove his innocence of the charge. Confirmation of Sentence Following Jakobs conviction and sentencing, the Tower of London received a copy of the following letter: LD/SR A(s) 1 MOST SECRET To: The Constable of H.M. Tower of London. 13th August 1941. Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you that JOSEF JAKOBS, an enemy alien, has been found guilty of an offence against the Treachery Act 1940 and has been sentenced to suffer death by being shot.

The said enemy alien has been attached to the Holding Battalion, Scots Guards for the purpose of punishment and the execution has been fixed to take place at H.M. Tower of London on Friday the 15th August 1941 at 7.15am. Sgd. Sir Bertram N. Sergison-Brooke, Lieutenant-General Commanding London District. The Execution Ten days later, Jakobs was taken to the old miniature .22 rifle range in the Tower's grounds, where the First World War spies had been shot, and placed in a brown Windsor chair (due to his damaged right leg) and a white lint target was then pinned on his chest over his heart. At 7.12am on 15 August 1941, an eight-man firing squad composed from members of The Holding Battalion, Scots Guards, shot Joseph Jakobs. The execution was witnessed by Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Gerard, the Deputy Provost Marshal for the London District. Later that day, a post-mortem was performed by Bernard Spilsbury. One shot had hit Jakobs in the head, the other seven had been around the target area.

An inquest held that afternoon decided that Jakobs had died of "Injuries to the heart caused by the passage of bullets", and the inquest verdict was "Execution of judicial sentence of death in accordance with military law". Jakobs was then taken from The Tower of London, and was buried in a civilian grave at St. Marys Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, Northwest London. The grave was not marked, and the area used for Jakob's grave has since been re-used. It is almost certain that Josef Jakobs will be the last person to be executed at the Tower of London. All the other people convicted and executed under the Treachery Act 1940 , and the High Treason Act 1351, were hanged at either Wandsworth or Pentonville Prisons. The Exhibits The follow table shows the list of exhibits at Jakob's courts-martial. 1 Who performed the post-mortem on executed German spy Josef Jakobs? | Josef Jakobs - 1898-1941 Josef Jakobs - 1898-1941 The story behind the last person executed in the Tower of London.

21 April 2014 Who performed the post-mortem on executed German spy Josef Jakobs? Josef Jakobs was executed by firing squad at 7:12 am on Friday 15 August 1941, at the Tower of London. After the execution, a post-mortem was conducted and on Monday 18 August 1941, Jakobs was buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Kensal Green. There is some uncertainty as to who conducted the post-mortem on Jakobs. Several sources mentioned that the famous pathologist, Sir Bernard Spilsbury, conducted the post-mortem, while other sources indicated that East London Coroner W.R.H. Heddy did the honours. The Case for Sir Bernard Spilsbury In 1976, After the Battle Magazine published one of the first substantial articles on Jakobs. The editor, while not having access to the classified MI5 documents, pieced together quite a bit of Jakobs' story. According to the magazine: Jakobs' body was taken to the old mortuary which lies directly beneath the northern approach to the Tower Bridge, where Sir Bernard Spilsbury carried out a post-mortem.

Sir Bernard Spilsbury ca 1920 (from The Scalpel of Scotland by Browne & Tullett) Five years later, Nigel West published his ground-breaking book on MI5 which also noted: Jakob's body was then carried to the Tower mortuary in the moat where Sir Bernard Spilsbury carried out a post-mortem. He certified the cause of death as 'injuries to the heart due to the passage of bullets'. Sir Bernard Spilsbury was a famous forensic pathologist in London who was involved in the autopsies of many of the World War II spies. His presence at Jakobs' post-mortem would simply follow the pattern that had been set with earlier spies who had been executed. A few decades later, Stephen Stratford included some information on Jakobs on his website which is focused on British Criminal & Military History. According to Stratford: Later that day [August 15], a post-mortem was performed by Bernard Spilsbury. One shot had hit Jakobs in the head, the other seven had been around the target area.

An inquest held that afternoon decided that Jakobs had died of "Injuries to the heart caused by the passage of bullets", and the inquest verdict was "Execution of judicial sentence of death in accordance with military law". This site added a new twist to the information on Jakobs, stating that one of the shots had hit Jakobs in the head. Stratford gave no specific reference for this information. In 2006, Colin Evans published a book on Bernard Spilsbury, entitled Father of Forensics. Evans noted that: [Bernard Spilsbury] was involved in a historical curiosity when he autopsied Josef Jakobs, the last person to be executed in the Tower of London. Unlike all the other spies condemned to death in World War II, Jakobs was not hanged but shot... Later that day, a post-mortem performed by Spilsbury recorded that one shot had hit Jakobs in the head, the other seven had been around the target area.

Dead Man's Hole, Tower Bridge - Site of Tower Mortuary Josef Jakobs JOSEF JAKOBS: LAST PERSON THE BE EXECUTED IN THE TOWER OF LONDON (Friday the 15th August 1941 at 7.15am.) Josef Jakobs was the only spy to be executed in the Tower of London in the Second World War. At 8.20am on Saturday, 1 February, 1941, two farm-workers were walking across Dovehouse Farm, Ramsey Hollow, Huntingdonshire, when they heard what appeared to be three pistol shots. They found a man, Jakobs, lying on his back, covered by a camouflaged parachute - he had broken his leg. The man threw the weapon into a steel helmet, saying that he came from Hamburg and was in no war. But he had torn up a code and had buried an attache case under his body. The case contained a wireless transmitter that could work both short and long waves. Jakobs also had in his posses-sion a small torch with a flashing device, and a map that was marked in positions corresponding to the RAF aerodrome of Upwood and the satellite airfield of Warboys.

Jakob went before a court martial on 4-5 August, 1941, at the Duke of York Headquarters, Chelsea. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by shooting. He was executed in the Tower of London on 15 August, 1941. (A MAP OF DROVEHOUSE FARM IN RAMSEY) Introduction The details in this section deal with the case of Josef Jakobs; the last person to be executed at the Tower of London. It is practically certain that Josef Jakobs will remain the last person executed at the Tower. Court Members Josef Jakobs' courts-martial was convened by Lieutenant-General Sir Bertram N. Sergison-Brooke, KCVO, CB, CMG, DSO, commanding London District. The trial was held at Duke of Yorks HQ, Chelsea SW3, on 4th and 5th August 1941. President Major-General B.T. Wilson, CB, DSO. Members Col. E.W.S. Balfour, DSO, OBE, MC. Lieu-Col. H.H. Cripps, DSO. 7653216 QMS. B.A. Balment, RAOC.

The Charge Josef Jakobs was charged with "Committing treachery in that you at Ramsey in Huntingdonshire on the night of 31 January 1941/1 February 1941 descended by parachute with intent to help the enemy." Josef Jakobs pleaded not guilty to the charge. As the trial was held during the war, the entire trial was conducted in camera. The Witnesses The 1st witness at the trial was Charles Baldock, who was signalled to by Jakobs firing his revolver in the air. Baldock went over to Jakobs who was lying on his back in the field at Dovehouse Farm, Ramsay Hollow. Baldock then sent his friend, who was walking with him, to fetch help while he remained with Jakobs. When cross-examined by the accused, Baldock stated that Jakobs was unable to move due to his injured leg. The 2nd witness was Harry Coulson, who was walking with Charles Baldock when they were alerted by Jakobs shooting in the air. He then left Baldock with Jakobs, while he went to summon help from the local Home Guard.

The 3rd witness was James Harry Godfrey who was a farm labourer, and a member of the Ramsay Platoon Home Guard. When he was summoned by Coulson, he telephoned Ramsay Police Station. He then went with his commanding office, and Coulson, to the field at Dovehouse Farm. After binding Jakobs damaged right leg, he then search Jakobs with his commanding officer (Captain Newton), and his second-in-command (Lieutenant Curedale). They found between £400 and £500 in £1 notes. He also confirmed finding an attach case (exhibit 6), a flying suit (exhibit 7) and a wallet (exhibit 8). The 4th witness was Captain William Henry Newton, who was the Office Commanding Ramsay Company, Home Guard. He confirmed that he had been telephone by Ramsay Police, and then went to Dovehouse Farm, where Jakobs was lying on the ground in civilian clothes under his flying suit (exhibit 7). When asked by Newton who he was, Jakobs stated that he had flown solo from Luxembourg. Jakobs was then taken by a horse and cart to Ramsay Police Station, where he was handed over to the police.

At the Police Station, in Newtons presence, Jakobs opened his attach case (exhibit 6) which contained a wireless set, headphones, batteries, insulating wire and some sheets of paper. The 5th witness was Sergeant Ernest Pottle, who was an Acting-Sergeant in the Huntingdonshire County Constabulary at Ramsay. He explained that he had received a telephone call, and had gone to Dovehouse Farm. He had then travelled back with Jakobs, and the Home Guard, to the Police Station at Ramsay. The 6th witness was Detective Sergeant Thomas Oliver Mills, Huntingdonshire County Constabulary, based at Huntingdon. He met Jakobs at Ramsay Police Station. He examined a map (exhibit 9) found with Jakobs, and he noticed that there were pencil marks on the map near a large R.A.F Station, and a satellite R.A.F Station. Both these R.A.F stations were near where Jakobs had landed in the field at Dovehouse Farm. Later on, Det. Sgt. Mills conveyed Jakobs to New Scotland Yard in London, where he was handed over to Major Robinson and Mr. Marriott.

The 7th witness was John Hayes Marriott, who was a civil Assistant attached to the General Staff of the War Office. He confirmed receiving Jakobs from Mills, together with the items (exhibits 2-15 and exhibit 18) found with Jakobs. He then handed these items over to Lieutenant-Colonel Hinchley Cooke. He also confirmed that the wireless found with Jakobs was capable of transmitting from England to the continent. The 8th witness was Lieutenant-Colonel William Edward Hinchley Cooke, OBE, who was on the General Staff of the War Office. He confirmed receiving the items from Mr. Marriott. On 18 June 1941, he questioned Jakobs at New Scotland Yard. Jakobs provided a statement in response to Cookes questions (exhibit 17). On 24 July 1941, at 6.20pm, at Wandsworth Prison, Cooke charged Jakobs under section 1 of the Treachery Act 1940. Cooke, who spoke German, explained to Jakobs the legal procedure that would now follow.

He also explained that an interpreter and a legal representative would be provided for Jakobs use at the courts-martial. Jakobs then asked if he would be shot or hanged if found guilty at his trial. Cooke replied that he would be shot, as the trial was being conducted by a military court. Jakobs replied that the others had been hanged. Cooke confirmed this, stating that because their trials had been conducted by civilian courts, they had received the normal civilian sentence. In his statement to Hinchley Cooke, Jakobs stated that he was born in Luxembourg on 30 June 1898 of German parents. He served in the 4th Foot Guards during World War One from August 1914 to December 1914, when he was discharged for medical reasons. He then served from October 1916 until the end of the war in November 1918, as a Lieutenant in the 4th Foot Guards. He was initially called up in June 1940, but was quickly discharged as there were doubts raised about his civil status, as he had been imprisoned in Switzerland from 1935 to 1937.

He admitted to being an officer in the Intelligence Section of the German General Staff. Jakobs went on to say that he had flown from Schipol Airport, Holland, and had parachuted during the night of 31 January-1 February 1941. He was the only passenger on the plane (which had a crew of five), and was intending to be dropped in the Peterborough area. He broke his right ankle, when he was getting out of the plane. He was dragged through the exit hole in the floor of the plane, bashing his right ankle on the side of the exit hole. He further damaged his right leg on landing, and summoned help by firing shots into the air. The courts-martial found that Jakobs was guilty, and he was sentenced to death by shooting. He petitioned the King, stating that he was a friend of England, and that he had come to this county to help her in her fight against Nazi Germany. He asked to be held until the end of the war, when he would then be able to prove his innocence of the charge.

Confirmation of Sentence Following Jakobs conviction and sentencing, the Tower of London received a copy of the following letter: LD/SR A(s) 1 MOST SECRET To: The Constable of H.M. Tower of London. 13th August 1941. Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you that JOSEF JAKOBS, an enemy alien, has been found guilty of an offence against the Treachery Act 1940 and has been sentenced to suffer death by being shot. The said enemy alien has been attached to the Holding Battalion, Scots Guards for the purpose of punishment and the execution has been fixed to take place at H.M. Tower of London on Friday the 15th August 1941 at 7.15am. Sgd. Sir Bertram N. Sergison-Brooke, Lieutenant-General Commanding London District. The Execution Ten days later, Jakobs was taken to the old miniature .22 rifle range in the Tower's grounds, where the First World War spies had been shot, and placed in a brown Windsor chair (due to his damaged right leg) and a white lint target was then pinned on his chest over his heart.

At 7.12am on 15 August 1941, an eight-man firing squad composed from members of The Holding Battalion, Scots Guards, shot Joseph Jakobs. The execution was witnessed by Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Gerard, the Deputy Provost Marshal for the London District. Later that day, a post-mortem was performed by Bernard Spilsbury. One shot had hit Jakobs in the head, the other seven had been around the target area. An inquest held that afternoon decided that Jakobs had died of "Injuries to the heart caused by the passage of bullets", and the inquest verdict was "Execution of judicial sentence of death in accordance with military law". Jakobs was then taken from The Tower of London, and was buried in a civilian grave at St. Marys Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, Northwest London. The grave was not marked, and the area used for Jakob's grave has since been re-used. It is almost certain that Josef Jakobs will be the last person to be executed at the Tower of London.

All the other people convicted and executed under the Treachery Act 1940, and the High Treason Act 1351, were hanged at either Wandsworth or Pentonville Prisons. The Exhibits The follow table shows the list of exhibits at Jakob's courts-martial. 1 Attorney-Generals Fiat allowing Jakobs to be tried under section one of the Treachery Act 1940. 2 Revolver. Josef Jakobs (1898 - 1941) - Find A Grave Memorial London Greater London, England World War II German Spy. On January 31, 1941, Corporal Jakobs parachuted into Ramsey in Huntingdonshire, England. He was not only spotted landing, but had also broken his ankle so he was easily apprehended. He was court marshalled for treachery and as a result was put to death by firing squad. Jakobs was the last person executed in the Tower of London. His body was buried in an unmarked grave at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery.

(bio by: Rickie Hufford) Josef Jakobs - 1898-1941: Story of Josef Jakobs Josef Jakobs - 1898-1941 The story behind the last person executed in the Tower of London. Story of Josef Jakobs Links within the article lead to more detailed blog articles on this site Early Life Josef Jakobs was born 30 June 1898 in the city of Luxembourg. His German parents moved the family to Berlin in the early 1900s. Josef attended the Dominican College in Vechta and, at the outbreak of the war, joined the German Army. He served with the Fourth Foot Guard Regiment on the eastern and western fronts. He was wounded in 1918 near Amiens and sent to Berlin to recover. Dentist After the war, Josef studied dentistry in Berlin. In 1921, he traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to complete his dentistry degree. In 1924, Josef returned to Berlin, and after becoming accredited as a dentist in Germany, set up a dental practice.

In 1926, he married Margarete Knoeffler and by 1932, they had three children, two boys and a girl. Switzerland The economic depression of the early 1930s caused Josef to close his dental practice. In 1934, he traveled to Switzerland with a friend to engage in counterfeit gold-making. His wife came to visit him in the summer of 1934, but by September, Josef and his friend had been arrested and both were imprisoned for almost two and a half years. In June 1937 Josef was released from prison and returned to Berlin. He found a job as a traveling salesman for a while, selling books and typewriters, but in 1938, after meeting a former acquaintance, got involved in providing black market passports to Jews eager to escape Germany. Black Market Deals For a fee, often a hefty one, lawyer Dr. Juergen Ziebell, could secure Finnish, Irish or Uruguayan passports/visa to Jewish clients. Josef's job was to bring possible clients to Dr. Ziebell, for which he received a "finder's fee".

One of Josef's contacts was a Frau Reiwald who recommended Frau Lily Knips to Josef. Frau Knips had a son in England, and was desperate to leave Germany. Frau Knips decided not to a passport through Dr. Ziebell, but Josef tried to arrange various other financial deals with her, often of a very shady nature. In October 1938, Dr. Ziebell and his various business associates, including Josef, were arrested by the authorities. Frau Knips was able to arrange her own way to England, with the help of her son, and left Germany in April 1939. Josef was sent to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and was released in March 1940. German Intelligence Service (Abwehr) Josef may have been called up for military service and/or been approached by a recruiter for the Abwehr. Either way, in September 1940, Josef went to Hamburg to be trained in espionage by a certain Dr. Beier ( Julius Jacob Boeckel ) under the supervision of spymaster Nikolaus Ritter . While in Hamburg, Josef became enamoured with Clara Bauerle , a singer with the Bernhard Ette Orchestra.

Josef returned to Berlin on the weekends to visit his family. On one of these visits, he apparently divulged to a "friend" that he was planning to use his mission to England as a means to escape to America where he had an aunt. The "friend" denounced Josef to the Gestapo and very quickly, Josef was recalled to Hamburg. The Abwehr still considered Josef suitable spy material and on 8 January, 1941, he was sent to The Hague to be trained in wireless transmitting and receiving. To England On 31 January 1941, left Schipol Airport, near Amsterdam, for England in the belly of a German bomber, most likely a Heinkel 111 . Josef left the aircraft at approximately 8:30 pm and injured his ankle during his exit through the narrow hatch. Josef had never practiced a parachute jump or landing and his ankle injury was compounded when he landed. He found himself lying in an English potato field belonging to Dovehouse Farm with a broken ankle. Covering himself with his parachute, Josef smoked his supply of cigarettes throughout the night, drifting in and out of consciousness.

In the morning, around 8:30 am, he fired some shots into the air with his Mauser automatic pistol . A short while later, he fired some more shots into the air and was found by two farm hands on their way to work - Charles Baldock and Harry Coulson. Charles stayed with Josef while Harry went to nearby Wistow Fen Farm and notified Harry Godfrey , a member of the Ramsey Home Guard . Godfrey notified the police in the nearby town of Ramsey and accompanied Coulson back to the parachutist. A short while later, Captain Newton and Lieutenant Curedale of the Home Guard also arrived, having been notified by the Ramsey Police of the capture of a possible enemy spy. Josef was searched by the men and a variety of items were found in his possession, the most damning of which was the wireless transmitter which was partially buried in the soil beneath Josef. Bundling Josef into the back of a horse-drawn cart, the men accompanied him to the Ramsey Police Station . At the station, Josef was examined by Acting Inspector Horace Jaikens who summoned Dr. Willem Hertzog to diagnose Josef's ankle injury. Dr.

Hertzog determined that the ankle was indeed broken but that Josef was fit to be transported to London. The police made a more complete inventory of Josef possessions, taking particular note of his well-dressed appearance . Meanwhile, Acting Sergeant Pottle from nearby Bury had been sent to the field at Dovehouse Farm where Josef had landed to recover a small shovel that had been in Josef's possession. While there, Pottle gathered up some scattered paper fragments which later turned out to be part of Josef's code disc which he had torn up during the night. Back at the police station, Detective Sergeant Thomas Oliver Mills from Huntingdon asked Josef several more questions and summoned RSLO Major Dixon from Cambridge. The property in Josef's possession was carefully itemized and found to contain several other interesting items: £497 in £1 notes , a wireless radio transmitter/receiver , a torch , two identity cards (one in the name of James Rymer ), a ration book , several mystery tablets (possibly for use as secret writing materials), a flashlight , a German-English dictionary , a touring map of Great Britain, , 2.5 pounds of choc olate and smoking accessories .

Upon the arrival of Dixon, around noon, Josef was loaded into the back of a car and accompanied to London by Mills and Dixon. Arrival in London Josef was driven to Cannon Row Police Station and arrived around 4 pm. He offered a voluntary statement to Major Thomas A. Robertson from the War Office, who was accompanied by John Marriott, also of the War Office. After the interview, Josef given some pain killers by the police surgeon and conveyed to the hospital wing of Brixton Prison . The next day, despite his broken ankle, Josef was taken to Latchmere House, the MI5 interrogation centre for captured spies. Josef was given a brief interrogation by Colonel Robin Stephens but it was quickly recognized that Josef's ankle required serious medical attention. After leaving Latchmere House, Josef was returned to Brixton Prison for the night. The next morning, he was to the more advanced medical facilities at Dulwich Hospital . There he remained for two months, having developed fever, sepsis at the site of his broken ankle and broncho-pneumonia. Josef was eventually released to Latchmere Houes in reasonable physical condition on April 14 and was quickly convinced to write several personal statements regarding his life.

Interrogation Over the next three months, Josef gave several statements to the officers at Latchmere House . Colonel Robin Stephens , commandant of Latchmere House and Dr Harold Dearden , psychiatrist at Latchmere House led the interrogation, attempting to glean every bit of information from captured spies. Normally, captured spies were turned into double agents, if they were found to be suitable. Since Josef's capture had been widely publicized, it was determined that he did not meet the criteria to be turned into a double agent. According to the Treachery Act, neutral aliens and British citizens were to be tried in a civilian court by a judge and jury. Their punishment would be death by hanging, unless they were soldiers, in which case, the Attorney General could decree that they be executed by firing squad. Enemy aliens could be tried by military court martial. Since Josef was a German citizen, and had no neutral alien or British accomplices, MI5 and the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that he would make an excellent candidate for trial by General Court Martial. An application to try Josef by court martial was submitted to the Attorney General in late June and approved.

During that same period, Josef was used by the MI5 officers to "break" another German spy who had arrived in mid-May, Karel Richter. Plans for a speedy court martial were hampered by the logistics of where to hold Josef prior to, and during, his court martial. The Office of the Judge Advocate General was in charge of the proceedings and after much deliberation, it was decided to designate a cell at Wandsworth Prison as a military prison. On 23 July, Josef was transferred to Wandsworth Prison and guarded by several Military Policemen under the authority of the Deputy Provost Marshal, Lt. Colonel C.R.T.M. Gerard . The following day, Josef was formally charged with an offence under the Treachery Act 1940 by Lt. Colonel William E. Hinchley-Cooke . Less than a week later, the Summary of Evidence was taken at Wellington Barracks under the direction of Lt . Col. George Mervyn Cornish , Officer Commanding Holding Battalion Grenadier Guards. Conviction On August 4 and 5, Josef was tried by General Court Martial at the Duke of York's Headquarters in Chelsea.

Unlike the other World War 2 spies, Josef was tried by Court Martial because (a) it was clear he was an enemy alien and (b) he was a member of the enemy's armed forces. All of the other World War 2 spies were tried by civil court and hanged, most by Albert Pierrepoint . Josef's court martial was under the direction of Judge Advocate Carl Ludwig Stirlin g who provided legal advice for the members of the court, all of whom were high-ranking military officers . The attorney for the prosecution made his case and although Josef was provided with a defence attorney and an interpreter , it was all for nought.. After 10 minutes of deliberation shortly after noon on August 5, the members of the court returned a verdict of guilty and Josef was returned to Wandsworth Prison to await his fate. The prison chaplain had been attempting to see Josef but because he was a military prisoner, the chaplain was not able to do so. After several letters between Bishop James Dey, Bishop of the Forces, and MI5, a military chaplain was found for Josef, Fr Edward Jackson Griffith . On August 8, Josef wrote a letter of appeal to His Majesty King George VI , but it was rejected.

Execution In the early morning hours of Friday 15 August, 1941 , Josef left Wandsworth Prison, taking his leave of the Governor of the Prison, Major Benjamin D. Grew . In the company of his military escort and Fr. Griffith, Josef was driven to the Tower of London . A doctor at the Tower offered him a prescription to calm his nerves and after initially refusing the offer, Josef accepted the medication. He was led to the miniature firing range located between the inner and outer walls of the Tower, where the World War I spies had been executed - some with courage . A firing squad composed of members of the Scots Guards , Holding Battalion, awaited him. He was seated in a wooden windsor chair and fastened to it with ropes. A circular target was pinned to his chest and a black hood covered his head. The commander of the firing squad, Major PDJ Waters MC gave the signals to the firing squad to take aim. Josef's final words asked the soldiers of the firing squad to "Shoot straight, Tommies". Colonel Robin Stephens, upon hearing how Josef faced his death, commented that Josef had been a brave man .

Q&A: Why was Josef Jakobs the only WW2 spy to be shot rather than hanged? | History Extra Q&A: Why was Josef Jakobs the only WW2 spy to be shot rather than hanged? Josef Jakobs was a German spy who parachuted into a Huntingdonshire field early in 1941... This Q&A first appeared in the January 2012 issue of BBC History Magazine Thursday 12th January 2012 BBC History Magazine - 5 issues for £5 The chair in which Josef Jakobs, the last person to be executed at the Tower of London, was shot. (Topfoto) Captured by the Home Guard after he had broken his right leg on exiting the aircraft, Jakobs was arrested and taken to Brixton prison. Following interrogation, Jakobs was committed for trial for treason under the Treachery Act. Found guilty on 5 August 1941, he was sentenced to death by firing squad and executed in the Tower of London ten days later. The peculiarity of the case is why Jakobs was shot at the Tower, when all other captured German spies were hanged at Pentonville or Wandsworth prisons.

It has been suggested that this was due to his injuries, but that is incorrect. It is simply because the decision was made – primarily for reasons of speed and secrecy – to try him by a general court-martial, rather than in a civilian court. When sentenced to death therefore, he was to be shot rather than hanged, and the most expedient location for that to be carried out was the old shooting range in the Tower of London. In this way, Josef Jakobs – who was an otherwise unremarkable and rather inept spy – has gone down in history as the last person to be executed at the site. This Q&A was answered by Roger Moorhouse, author of Berlin at War (Bodley Head, 2010). A bloody tale from the Tower of London | Radio Times A bloody tale from the Tower of London The story of a German dentist executed as a Nazi spy whose family just can't let go Comments Written By 10:00 AM, 16 April 2012 Pub-quiz enthusiasts look away. The rest ponder this piece of head-scratching trivia. Who was the last person to be executed at the Tower of London?

Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes, Walter Raleigh? Nein. In fact it was a German dentist called Josef Jakobs and his death, by firing squad, was a mere 71 years ago. Jakobs was an untrained, ill-equipped German spy who was parachuted into Britain in February 1941, apparently charged with sending details of London weather patterns back to the Fatherland. But he broke his ankle in a bungled leap from the plane. When captured, writhing in agony, at the Huntingdonshire drop point, he was found to have nearly £500 of counterfeit currency, an empty ration book and identity papers that were obviusly forged. His war was over and so, effectively, was his life. The 43-year-old father of three was tried by a court martial, found guilty of treason and at 7.12am on 15 August 1941 was taken to the practice range at the Tower where, blindfolded and with a white marker over his heart, he was shot by eight soldiers from the Scots Guards.

Unlike the other 16 enemy spies hanged in London prisons during and just after the Second World War, Jakobs’ ankle injury meant he couldn’t stand, so he had to be shot while seated. The splintered chair is now an exhibit at the Tower. The story has consumed his granddaughter Giselle, a Canadian who works in schools for native Americans. She’s made countless visits to London to unravel his story – each time teasing out more detail from intelligence reports and war records. But today she’s back at the Tower on a mission of her own. “After he was executed, Josef was buried in an unmarked grave at St Mary’s Roman Catholic cemetery in Kensal Green [north-west London]. His son, my dad, is 80 this August and he has never been to England before. I’d like to bring him over here, to the Tower and to the cemetery. If we could have a headstone, that would lay Josef to rest and bring some sense of closure.” What drives Giselle is the deep sense of injustice she feels about her grandfather’s death.

A small-time crook imprisoned before the war for counterfeiting offences – he spent some time in the notorious Sachsenhausen concentration camp for political prisoners – he was given only limited training before being dropped into the UK. "He was a rogue and a scoundrel but he was not a Nazi,” says Giselle. “He learnt some Morse code and studied cloud patterns, but they didn’t even give him a single practice parachute jump. He had none of the skills needed to carry out his objectives. He was as good as dead the moment he jumped out of the plane.” She’s also upset that his deathbed letter was never sent to his wife. “My grandmother died not knowing what happened to her husband. She received a German Red Cross death notice saying that he had fallen on active service, but she never heard anything else. He wrote his letter to her just hours before he was shot. He pours his heart out. He tells his children to be good children. “Even today when I read it, I get very emotional. What he really wanted to say to his family, he wasn’t able to say.” Giselle is aware of her grandfather’s unique place in British history.

But she wants him to be remembered for more than just being the last person to be executed at the Tower of London. “There is so much more to his story than just a trivia question.”

Question: In 1941 Josef Jakobs was the last spy to be executed where?
Answer: Tower of London