THE TERRIBLE EXECUTION OF "JOSEF JAKOBS" BY FIRING SQUAD ON BRISTISH SOIL.

Josef Jakobs - the last to be executed by firing squad on British soil.

Jakobs was an entirely unsuccessful spy. On Saturday the 1st of February 1941 he was flown over England and parachuted into Huntingdonshire, where he landed hard at Dovehouse Farm, Ramsey Hollow, breaking his ankle. He fired three shots to alert people to help him and was rescued by two farm workers who were also members of the Home Guard.

When found he had a wireless transmitter, a map with airfield locations marked on it, food, a spade and a large amount of money, some £498. He was turned over to the authorities and charged with espionage under the Treachery Act of 1940 which stated that :

"If, with intent to help the enemy, any person does, or attempts or conspires with any other person to do any act which is designed or likely to give assistance to the naval, military or air operations of the enemy, to impede such operations of His Majesty's forces, or to endanger life, shall be guilty of felony and shall on conviction suffer death."

Jakobs was tried by military court martial at the Duke of York’s HQ, Chelsea SW3, on the 4th and 5th of August 1941.

The charge was "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." He pleaded not guilty, however the evidence against him was really overwhelming and he was convicted and sentenced to suffer death by being shot.

Ten days later, Jakobs was taken to the old miniature .22 rifle range in the Tower's grounds, where ten World War I spies had been shot, and tied to a chair as he still couldn’t stand. A white target was pinned over his heart. At 7.12am on the 15th of August 1941, Jakobs was shot by an eight man firing squad from The Holding Battalion, Scots Guards.

The famous pathologist, Bernard Spilsbury conducted a post-mortem later in the day and found that seven bullets had hit him in the chest and one in the head. Jakobs was buried in a civilian grave at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, Northwest London.

Josef Jakobs became the last man to be executed at the Tower of London. It is unclear, at least to me, why Jakobs was shot rather than hanged as the other spies and traitors from World War II were. Thanks for reading leave your thought in the comment section below.

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