EXTREMELY SENSITIVE CONTENT – 18+ ONLY:
This article discusses sensitive historical events from World War II, including acts of espionage and judicial execution in Britain. The content is presented for educational purposes only, to foster understanding of the past and encourage reflection on how societies can prevent similar injustices in the future. It does not endorse or glorify any form of violence or extremism.
The execution chair at the Tower of London holds a dark and poignant story as the seat used for the firing squad death of Josef Jakobs, the last person executed at this historic fortress on August 15, 1941. A German spy captured after parachuting into England with a broken ankle, Jakobs was convicted under the Treachery Act for espionage during World War II. Unable to stand due to his injury, he was seated in a simple Windsor chair for the squad’s volley, making his the only seated execution at the Tower. This artifact, now displayed in the White Tower with bullet marks, symbolizes the site’s shift from medieval prison to WWII espionage hub. Jakobs’s case, amid 16 spies executed there during the wars, reflected Britain’s firm stance against Nazi infiltration. Examining this objectively reveals wartime justice’s harsh realities, the human element in espionage, and the Tower’s evolving role, underscoring the need to learn from history to promote peace, intelligence ethics, and humane treatment of prisoners.
Josef Jakobs was born on June 30, 1898, in Luxembourg to German parents, serving in World War I before becoming a dentist and family man. During the Great Depression, financial woes led to black market dealings and imprisonment. Recruited by the Abwehr (German military intelligence) in 1940, he trained as a spy but was reluctant, viewing it as redemption.
On January 31, 1941, Jakobs parachuted into Huntingdonshire, England, for Operation Lena—sabotage ahead of a planned invasion. Landing poorly, he broke his ankle and fired a signal pistol, alerting locals. Arrested the next day with espionage gear (radio, forged ID, £500, and a sausage), he was interrogated at Camp 020, confessing fully.
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Tried under the 1940 Treachery Act at a closed court-martial in August 1941, Jakobs was convicted despite defense claims of coercion and intent to surrender. Sentenced to death by firing squad—reserved for military spies—he appealed unsuccessfully.
On August 15, 1941, at 7:12 a.m., in the Tower’s miniature rifle range (used for WWI spies), Jakobs, unable to stand, sat blindfolded in the Windsor chair facing an eight-man squad. A doctor pinned a white target over his heart; the volley killed him instantly. Buried unmarked in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, his was the Tower’s last execution—previous ones included 11 WWI spies and medieval figures like Anne Boleyn.
The chair, riddled with bullets, is exhibited at the Royal Armouries, a reminder of WWII’s shadowy warfare. Jakobs’s story, detailed in family blogs and books, humanizes spies as flawed individuals caught in conflict.
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Josef Jakobs’s seated execution in the Tower of London’s chair marked the end of a grim tradition, reflecting WWII’s espionage tensions and Britain’s unyielding justice. This final Tower death, adapted for his injury, symbolizes the fortress’s transition from execution site to historical monument. By reflecting objectively, we confront war’s human costs and the ethics of capital punishment for spies. This history inspires commitments to international law, humane prisoner treatment, and diplomacy over conflict, ensuring societies learn from past executions to build futures rooted in justice and reconciliation.
Sources
Josef Jakobs Blog: “Chair of Execution” (2014)
Royal Armouries: “Wooden Chair – about 1940”
YouTube: “The Execution Chair Of The Tower Of London” (2024)
HRP.org.uk: “The Tower of London and the Second World War”
Facebook (Chris Skaife): Post on execution chair (2024)
Instagram (Chris Skaife): Post on somber history (2025)
Wikipedia: “Josef Jakobs”Executed Today: Entries on WWII executions
Additional historical references from academic sources on Tower of London history.