The Book Cruel Britannia: A Secret History of Torture. Ian Cobain. Portobello Books, London. 2012. Summary Since the tragedy of 9/11, there has been much in the news about the war on terror, and the questionable interrogation methods used by the United States of America. While many point fingers at the United States, Great Britain […]
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The Book Execution: A History of Capital Punishment in Britain. Simon Webb. The History Press. Stroud, Gloucestershire. 2012. Summary [Disclaimer – I did not read the entire book, only the sections on Josef Jakobs and Karel Richter] The author of this book takes a look at the various methods of execution used throughout Britain’s history.
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The first people to find Josef Jakobs on the morning of 1 February, 1941, were two farmers: Charles Baldock and Harry Coulson. Their discovery was passed along to an ever expanding circle of people. One of the farmers went to a nearby farm and notified Henry James Godfrey, a Home Guard Volunteer. Godfrey, in turn,
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Today in 1941, German spy Josef Jakobs was finally admitted to Dulwich Community Hospital in East Dulwich. His broken ankle, injured during the parachute jump on the evening of January 31, was in desperate need of medical attention. Three physicians had examined Josef at various points on February 1 and 2 – all agreed that
Today in 1941, German spy Josef Jakobs woke up in a hospital bed in the Infirmary at Brixton Prison. The Medical Officer at the prison took a look at Josef’s ankle and knew that Josef needed more advanced medical treatment than could be offered at the prison. Plans were made to transfer Josef to a
On this day in 1941, German spy Josef Jakobs was found in a potato field on Dovehouse Farm, near the village of Ramsey, Huntingdonshire. At about 8:30 a.m. Josef had fired several shots into the air from his Mauser pistol. The shots were heard by Charles Baldock and Harry Coulson, two farm labourers who were
On this day in 1941, German spy Josef Jakobs descended from a German airplane over the dark fields of England. Like many parachutist spies, Josef hurt himself during the descent, breaking his ankle as he left the aircraft. At about 7:30 pm local time, Josef landed in a potato field on Dovehouse Farm, near the
The Book Fighting to Lose: How the German Secret Intelligence Service helped the Allies win the Second World War. John Bryden. Dundurn. 2014. Summary There have been many books written about the triumph of the British double-cross system run by MI5 during World War II. The inept German Abwehr (German Secret Intelligence Service) sent poorly
I went to prison while visiting London last year. Before that statement gives my parents heart failure, I must note that I went to prison as a visitor, not as an inmate. It was an enlightening and disturbing experience. A few months prior to my visit, I had contacted Prison Officer Stewart McLaughlin who also
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The Book In the Highest Degree Odious: Detention without Trial in Wartime Britain. A.W. Simpson. Clarendon Press. 1984. Review This book was riveting and eye-opening. It is perhaps best encapsulated by a quote from Churchill, part of which forms the title of the book: The Power of the Executive to cast a man into prison