Tidbits of information about Josef abound on the internet, usually in the context of trivia questions such as “Who was the last person executed in the Tower of London”. There are other websites which contain a bit more information and one of those is Historic Ramsey in Pictures. (N.B. 2021 – link no longer works).
This project by the Sisman Family includes various pictures of Ramsey, including a common postcard photo of the Ramsey Police Station.
The site doesn’t have much information on Josef, but most of what is included is accurate. Some corrections and comments are included in square brackets.
What follows is the unfortunate tale of Josef Jakobs; the last person to be executed (by firing squad) at the Tower of London. Jakobs was held at the Police Station after being arrested by the sergeant. [Acting Inspector Horace Jaikens]
The charge – “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.”
Jakobs broke his right ankle, when he was getting out of the plane and on landing had fired his revolver to summons help, not that the help was much good to him, they performed what is known as a citizens arrest [Godfrey was actually a member of the Home Guard], it is not good to mess with Ramsey folk! Jakobs was found by James Godfrey, Harry Coulson and Charles Baldock [Jakobs was found by Coulson & Baldock who summoned Godfrey from nearby Wistow Fen Farm] at Dovehouse Farm, Ramsey Hollow. The Police were notified and Sergeant Ernest Pottle rushed to the scene using a high speed horse and cart! [The police were notified, but they then notified the Home Guard. Members of the Home Guard requisitioned a horse drawn cart to convey Jakobs to the police station. Acting Sergeant Pottle from Bury arrived at the farm after the Home Guard had departed and then proceeded to the police station. He was sent back to Jakobs’ landing site later to gather more items from the field.]
Jakobs was made to open his attaché case, which contained a wireless set, headphones, batteries, insulating wire and some sheets of paper and maps of Upwood. [A touring map of Great Britain with some marks on the map that coincided with RAF Upwood & RAF Warboys.]
At 7.12am on 15 August 1941, an eight-man firing squad composed from members of The Holding Battalion, Scots Guards, shot unfortunate Josef Jakobs, who was sitting in a brown Windsor chair (due to his poor foot). [Josef could stand/walk. World War I spies executed at the Tower were also seated in a chair – it was standard procedure at the time.]
Review
3/5 – generally accurate.