The farm field in which German spy Josef Jakobs landed on the night of 31 January 1941 was most likely enshrouded in unrelieved darkness. The waxing crescent moon was hidden behind clouds and British wartime regulations ensured that farmhouse lights were hidden behind blackout curtains. Josef was equipped with two items which would have helped […]
A Light in the Darkness – The Torch and Lighter of Josef Jakobs Read More »
When German spy Josef Jakobs parachuted into a farm field near the village of Ramsey in England, he carried upon his person a small fortune in British currency. Members of the Home Guard who searched him the following morning found wads of new and old £1 notes tucked away in his wallet and various pockets.
Money Money Money – Spy Funds Counterfeit or Legit? Read More »
German spy Josef Jakobs landed in a farmer’s field near the village of Ramsey on the evening of January 31, 1941. Having broken his ankle while leaving the aircraft, Josef was unable to move from his landing place and lay there all night. The following morning at around 8:30 a.m. he fired his pistol into
The Gun that Saved a Life – Josef Jakobs’ Shot in the Dark Read More »
N.B. See my February 12, 2017 blog for a break in the case. In April 2012, I wrote a blog article entitled Who is Kenneth C. Howard? The article arose out of two small notebooks which were contained within one of Josef Jakobs’ files at the National Archives in Kew. At the time, the notebooks
The Mystery of the Two Notebooks and a Boy named Kenneth C. Howard Read More »
One would naturally expect that any German spy who arrived in England during World War 2 would have been relatively fluent in English. If a spy wanted to blend into English society, language would have formed an important part of their disguise. Unfortunately, most of the German spies who arrived in England were less than
Language Skills of a German Spy – Josef Jakobs’ Metoula Sprachführer Read More »
N.B. 2020 11 06 – I have since learned that that the transmitters displayed at the IWM and their captions, may not be entirely accurate. This post should therefore not be taken as accurate. I am working with some ham radio buffs who are trying to tease apart the different sending/receiving apparatus used by the
The Tenuous Thread of Communication – Spy Radios Read More »
In the early morning hours of 15 August, 1941, Josef Jakobs was seated in a wooden Windsor chair in the miniature rifle range at the Tower of London. A circular target was attached to his chest by the doctor attending. After the execution, the target disappeared. Rumours Over the years, various stories have emerged around
A Circle of Lint – Target for Death Read More »
When German spy Josef Jakobs landed near the village of Ramsey on 31 January, 1941, he had planned to make his way to London. Naturally, given his broken ankle, his plans came to naught. But what if he had not injured himself, during his descent from the German aircraft. Would it have been feasible for
Long Odds – The Proposed Journey of Josef Jakobs from Ramsey Hollow to London Read More »
On 24 July 1941, Josef Jakobs was visited by Lt. Col. William Edward Hinchley Cooke. Josef had been transferred to Wandsworth Prison the previous day and the move from Latchmere House boded ill. Hinchley Cooke charged Josef with: committing a civil offence, that is to say, Treachery, an offence contrary to Section I of the
Josef Jakobs – A Victim of the Treachery Act – Part 4 Read More »
During World War II, several individuals were charged under the Treachery Act. The vast majority of them were found guilty and executed. A few escaped with their lives. Remember that during the House of Commons discussion on May 22, 1940, the Members of Parliament were told that the Treachery Act would only be applied in
Josef Jakobs – A Victim of the Treachery Act – Part 3 Read More »