The last execution in the Tower of London took place on Thursday, Aug. 14, 1941, when Josef Jakobs, a German spy, was shot by an eight-man firing squad.
Jakobs, a German national, was born in Luxembourg on June 30, 1898. During W.W. II, he joined the meteorological service of the German army and rose to the rank of sergeant. On a secret mission, he was parachuted into a wooded area of Stifford in Essex County, England, on the night of Jan. 31, 1941. His luckless spying career ended before it began. He was spotted floating to earth by members of the local Home Guard, who rushed to his landing spot only to find him hobbling on a broken ankle. He was arrested, still in his flying suit, carrying a wireless transmitter, brandy, British currency, forged identity papers, a spade for burying his chute, and a cold German sausage.
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