On a rifle range within the Tower
Josef Jakobs was shot in a chair
he could not stand
his ankle broken
from landing in a Huntingdon field.
He was no foe he later pleaded
but died he did and the chair never healed.
Shot by eight good men and true
five bullets hit him and all went through,
his wife and children said fond goodbyes
but the clouds rolled on under wartime skies.
To arrive in enemy territory alone and endeavour to act
against the foe on their own ground requires a certain
frame of mind that is, perhaps, beyond most of us.
On the Allied side, we only have to consider the brave
agents of the SOE, many of whom did not return. One
of the bravest was W/Cmdr Frederick Yeo-Thomas GM
whose tale is told in "The White Rabbit" (his code name)
and who suffered unimaginable torture and imprisonment after betrayal. He is buried in Brookwood Cemetery in
Surrey, having never really recovered from his ordeals.
I have a cutting of an interview he gave to Herbert Kretzmer (now well known for his English lyrics for "Les
Miserables" but who was then a fashionable journalist). Yeo-Thomas was clearly dissillusioned by events that
had followed the war and that comes across very
poignantly in the interview, knowing what he had
endured after his capture by the Gestapo in Paris. He
was of Anglo-French descent, with parents who ran a
successful business in Paris where he lived after peace
was declared. The solo courage of those who undertook
such dangerous work (from whatever side) cannot be underestimated.
Very interesting story, Mr Pool. I'm sorry I'm a bit late on this post but I've been fortunate to read more details of the story of from you, David and M.C. I agree about the chair image - memorable.
Paul
elPintor
Thu 23rd Feb 2017 20:57
I really like this one, Ray..a vivid summation of final moments with, no doubt, a complex back story. I'm all eyes and ears when it comes to WWII history, so this should make for interesting reading this evening.
elP
Thanks David for your invaluable thoughts adding layers of experience and knowledge to what is quite a simple poem. I had to enlist the aid of Google to firm up some of the facts, but the chair was a pivotal image for me. thanks for liking the line. Fascinating your line about the Pythonesque. I remember the film I was Monty's Double (from the English side).
Wrong place wrong time wrong allies Mark as you point out.
A salient point for those with the extra knowledge. Thanks for reading.
Ray
I was intrigued by David's comment about the man being
betrayed by a Welsh nationalist. That was his misfortune
as it has since been reported that Scottish nationalists
were busy trying to consort with the enemy via the
consular rep. in Dublin in their own self-interests and Jakobs
was in the wrong company for his nefarious purposes, that's for sure.
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raypool
Sat 25th Feb 2017 12:44
Sorry to get back late to this; but thank you for some stimulating comments. Such a short poem too, but obviously there are layers of history compacted here.
elP, i'm glad this gave cause for thought . All a bit sad for me as it is so final.
David, an amazing twist of fate this Abwehr connection. Thanks for expressing it and adding to the story.
Paul, I had this image of the chair as I do furniture restoring and it seems a rather macabre item to keep for inspection and I do feel quite fond of furniture.
Mark, you really know your stuff here. I did read the book when a teenager in the Great Pan edition (a prized possession at the time). So much heroism and risk for a cause. I suppose wars do bring out the best(and the worst) in people so called. Thanks for the trouble.
A satisfying response thanks all!
Ray