Sooo… given that someone successfully submitted an FOI request to the Metropolitan Police about Arthur Albert Tester… I thought… why not see if they have anything on Josef Jakobs. I did some digging and found the original MetPol file number for Josef’s case and sent an email off to their FOI department a few weeks ago.
Alas… here is their reply.
Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/20/014842
I write in connection with your request for information, which was received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 24/06/2020. I note you seek access to the following information:
Met Pol file on German spy Josef Jakobs – January 1941 to December 1941. Met Pol file 405/41/624. May have information on Lily Knips as well.
SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within the MPS. The searches failed to locate any records relevant to your request, therefore, regrettably the information you have requested is not held by the MPS.
Please note that the MPS operates a robust retention and disposal policy in relation to the administration of files. Any documentation relating to your request, if held by the MPS, is now likely to have been destroyed as it was decided at some stage that it was no longer required for a policing purpose. Files that were thought to have had an ongoing historical relevance would have been transferred to the National Archive for eventual publication.
No luck. However… there is always the possibility that his file was sent off to the National Archives. I have searched the indexes of the National Archives for anything on Josef but have found nothing. I suppose the file could still be waiting to be released, so yesterday evening I submitted an FOI to the National Archives for a MEPO file on Josef Jakobs. Given the Covid delays… I don’t anticipate any reply in short order but… at least I’ve put it out there.