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Last Execution
by Dorrell. May 2015.
On the 15th of August 1941 a detachment of Scots Guards lined the inner wall of the Tower of London. Before them seated in a rough wooden chair and wearing a black hood was a condemned man, whose his last words were, "Shoot straight, Tommies". Who was this man and how did he end up at the Tower of all places? A place infamous with tales of treachery and treason.
The story of Josef Jakobs is an unfortunate one. A veteran of the First World War, he was not a hardened Nazi or even natural spy material but a dentist, petty criminal and family man, who spent a period at Sachsenhausen Concentration camp. His road to criminality seemed more a result of the hard times than from a desire for greed, and it was his black market dealings, providing passports to escaping Jews, that led to his imprisonment.
After his release from Sachsenhausen Jakobs was drafted into the military and subsequently recruited by the German secret service. During this special training period he was heard commenting on escaping the Reich and was duly informed upon, but it seems without obvious repercussions. It is indeed a wonder why he was recruited as a spy at all, all things considered. In reality though Jakobs never became a spy in the truest sense. His career was cut short prematurely, as at the end of January, 1941 he was parachuted into the English countryside near Ramsey.
by Dorrell. May 2015.
On the 15th of August 1941 a detachment of Scots Guards lined the inner wall of the Tower of London. Before them seated in a rough wooden chair and wearing a black hood was a condemned man, whose his last words were, "Shoot straight, Tommies". Who was this man and how did he end up at the Tower of all places? A place infamous with tales of treachery and treason.
The story of Josef Jakobs is an unfortunate one. A veteran of the First World War, he was not a hardened Nazi or even natural spy material but a dentist, petty criminal and family man, who spent a period at Sachsenhausen Concentration camp. His road to criminality seemed more a result of the hard times than from a desire for greed, and it was his black market dealings, providing passports to escaping Jews, that led to his imprisonment.
After his release from Sachsenhausen Jakobs was drafted into the military and subsequently recruited by the German secret service. During this special training period he was heard commenting on escaping the Reich and was duly informed upon, but it seems without obvious repercussions. It is indeed a wonder why he was recruited as a spy at all, all things considered. In reality though Jakobs never became a spy in the truest sense. His career was cut short prematurely, as at the end of January, 1941 he was parachuted into the English countryside near Ramsey.
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Experiencing a bad landing resulting in an injured ankle, he alerted farm workers to his presence who in turn called the Home Guard and local Police. Eventually he was taken to London for further interrogation and internment. The subsequent publicity of his capture dismissed any chance of him being used as a double agent. However his value was not deemed redundant, as he was to play a tragic role in the propaganda war. Regardless of how impotent his threat to the British war effort actually was, his deafdly fate was sealed. After the fall of France Britain desperately needed a moral boost and the public's fear of infiltration by enemy agents and paratroopers became almost a paranoia. Combined with Churchill's ironfist stance the opportunity to make a bold statement to both the enemy and general public at home was not one to be wasted. The place of execution was also no doubt political, carefully chosen for its historical significance and appeal to public sentiment. |
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For a spy's execution Jakobs's was far from ordinary, as unlike other WW2 spies he faced a military court martial and ultimately a firing squad, due to being a serving soldier. It is worth noting that Jakobs holds the dubious distinction of being the last prisoner to be executed at the Tower of London.
With the passing of time and the slow unravelling of his story, the question arises whether Jakobs would have given himself up without his injuries, is now conjecture, but considering his chequered past his loyalty to the Reich seemed questionable.
It is 75 years since the end of the Second World War and for current generations it is hard to understand wartime attitudes and certainly those relating to Jakobs's rejected appeal and execution. Britain was after all facing an uncertain future, and as Jakobs set foot onto British soil she stood alone against the might of Nazi Germany and Japan. The story of secret agents in World War Two is mostly tragic and despite who his paymasters were Jakobs's is no different.
To read the full story of Josef Jakobs please visit the excellent website devoted to him.
Source: www.josefjakobs.info
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