Josef Jakobs
Encyclopedia
Corporal Josef Jakobs was a German spy, who was executed by firing squad in the Tower of London
during the Second World War after conviction under the Treachery Act 1940
. His trial took place in camera
. He was the last person to be executed in the Tower.
Jakobs was parachuted into Ramsey
in Huntingdonshire on 31 January 1941 but was seen descending by the local Home Guard, who rushed to the landing point to find that Jakobs had broken his ankle on landing. He was apprehended still wearing his flying suit and carrying British currency, forged papers, a radio and a German sausage.
The location of the execution was the old miniature rifle range in the Tower's grounds. Jakobs was executed while seated blindfold
ed in a brown Windsor chair
, due to having a broken ankle. A squad of eight Scots Guards
armed with Lee Enfield .303
rifles took aim at a white cotton target (the approximate size of a matchbook
) pinned over Jakobs' heart. After being given a silent signal from Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Gerard (Deputy Provost Marshal
) the squad fired in unison. Jakobs died instantly. A subsequent postmortem examination found that one bullet had hit Jakobs in the head and the other seven had been on or around the marked target area.
Following the execution, Jacobs' body was buried in an unmarked grave
at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green
, London
. The location used for Jakob's grave has since been re-used so the original grave site is difficult to find.
All other German spies condemned to death in the UK during the Second World War were executed by hanging
at HMP Wandsworth in south London
.
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
during the Second World War after conviction under the Treachery Act 1940
Treachery Act 1940
The Treachery Act 1940 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland enacted during World War II to facilitate the prosecution and execution of enemy spies, and suspended after the war and later repealed...
. His trial took place in camera
In camera
In camera is a legal term meaning "in private". It is also sometimes termed in chambers or in curia.In camera describes court cases that the public and press are not admitted to...
. He was the last person to be executed in the Tower.
Jakobs was parachuted into Ramsey
Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
Ramsey is a small Cambridgeshire market town and parish, north of Huntingdon and St Ives. For local government purposes it lies in the district of Huntingdonshire within the local government county of Cambridgeshire....
in Huntingdonshire on 31 January 1941 but was seen descending by the local Home Guard, who rushed to the landing point to find that Jakobs had broken his ankle on landing. He was apprehended still wearing his flying suit and carrying British currency, forged papers, a radio and a German sausage.
The location of the execution was the old miniature rifle range in the Tower's grounds. Jakobs was executed while seated blindfold
Blindfold
A blindfold is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. It can be worn when the eyes are in a closed state and thus prevents the wearer from opening them...
ed in a brown Windsor chair
Windsor chair
A Windsor chair is a chair built with a solid wooden seat into which the chair-back and legs are dowelled, or pushed into drilled holes, in contrast to standard chairs, where the back legs and the uprights of the back are continuous. The seats of Windsor chairs were often carved into a shallow dish...
, due to having a broken ankle. A squad of eight Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
armed with Lee Enfield .303
.303 British
.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
rifles took aim at a white cotton target (the approximate size of a matchbook
Matchbook
A matchbook is a small paperboard folder enclosing a quantity of matches and having a coarse striking surface on the exterior...
) pinned over Jakobs' heart. After being given a silent signal from Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Gerard (Deputy Provost Marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
) the squad fired in unison. Jakobs died instantly. A subsequent postmortem examination found that one bullet had hit Jakobs in the head and the other seven had been on or around the marked target area.
Following the execution, Jacobs' body was buried in an unmarked grave
Unmarked grave
The phrase unmarked grave has metaphorical meaning in the context of cultures that mark burial sites.As a figure of speech, a common meaning of the term "unmarked grave" is consignment to oblivion, i.e., an ignominious end. A grave monument is a sign of respect and fondness, erected with the...
at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green
Kensal Green
Kensal Green, also referred to as Kensal Rise is an area of London, England. It is located on the southern edge of the London Borough of Brent and borders the City of Westminster to the East and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the South....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The location used for Jakob's grave has since been re-used so the original grave site is difficult to find.
All other German spies condemned to death in the UK during the Second World War were executed by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
at HMP Wandsworth in south London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.