On this day in history : 16th August 1952 – One of the worst flash floods ever to occur in Britain sweeps its way through the North Devon village of Lynmouth….
Lynmouth, Devon
Torrential rainfall deposited 9 inches of rain on already saturated soil…. Over 100 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged – as were 28 bridges…. 38 cars were washed out to sea and 420 people lost their homes – but even more tragically – 34 lost their lives….
Following the flood controversy arose as to whether it had been caused by secret cloud seeding which had been carried out by the RAF between 1949 and 1952…. Cloud seeding is a method of weather modification aimed at altering the type of precipitation falling from clouds….
A 2001 BBC radio documentary fuelled speculation that the flood was linked to Project Cumulus – as the disaster happened just days after the RAF had been performing rain making experiments over Southern England…. However meteorologists deny this could have caused the flooding….
On this day in history : 15th August 1941 – The execution by firing squad, at the Tower of London, of Corporal Josef Jakobs…. It is to be the last ever execution at the Tower….
The Miniature Firing Range, Tower of London – ‘The Shed of Death’ – Photograph from the collections of the Imperial War Museums
Jakobs, born in Luxembourg in 1898, was a German spy – who during World War Two worked for the Abwehr, the German Army’s intelligence department….
On the 31st of January he was flown into Ramsay, Huntingdonshire from Schipol Airport, Holland…. He parachuted from the aircraft and landed in a field but broke his ankle in the process…. The following morning, to get the attention of two farmers, Charles Baldock and Harry Coulson, who were working nearby, he fired his pistol into the air….
The Home Guard were notified and Jakobs, still wearing his flying suit, was arrested…. He was carrying £500 in British currency, a radio transmitter, forged identity papers – and a German sausage! He also carried a photograph of German singer and actress Clara Bauerle, who was his lover and also a spy…. She was already in England and the idea was for him to join her….
Josef Jakobs – Fair use
Jakobs was transferred to Cannon Row Police Station in London, where he gave a voluntary statement to MI5…. He was then taken to Brixton Prison Infirmary where his ankle was treated before being held at Dulwich Hospital for the next two months….
His court martial took place on the 4th and 5th of August 1941 at the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea…. The British had been aware that he was coming to England as they had been informed by a double agent, Welsh Nationalist Arthur Owens…. Jakobs was found guilty and sentenced to death….
The execution took place ten days later at the miniature rifle range at the Tower of London…. Jakobs was tied blindfolded to a Windsor chair…. Eight soldiers of the Holding Battalion Scots Guards took aim with their 303 Lee-Enfields at a white cotton target pinned above his heart…. At 7.12am a silent signal was given by Lieutenant-Colonel C.R. Gerard…. Jakobs died instantly; five bullets hit him, three of the soldiers had been issued with blanks…. Jakobs was buried in an unmarked grave in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London….
The Windsor chair on which Jakobs was executed – Image credit : Hu Nhu – own work – CC BY-SA 4.0
On this day in history : 14th August 1979 – A freak storm hits the Fastnet Race…. A total of 19 lives are lost, 15 of which are crew and 4 of those involved in the rescue operation….
Memorial to those who died in the 1979 Fastnet Race, Cape Clear Island, Cork, Ireland – Image credit : Fanny Schertzer – own work – CC BY-SA 3.0
303 yachts with some 2,000 crew had set off on the 605 mile race from Cowes on the Isle of Wight in fine weather on the 11th of August…. Their route was to take them along the south coast of England, across the Irish Sea and then to finish in Plymouth….
Only 85 out of the 303 boats reached the finishing line…. Tragedy was to strike in the Irish Sea; a violent storm with Force 10 winds and 50ft waves, lasting over a period of 20 hours, sank, capsized and turned over yachts…. 24 boats were abandoned and at least 75 either capsized or sank….
The rescue operation began at 6.30am on the 14th of August, once the gales had dropped to Force 9…. Emergency services, naval forces and civilian vessels, manned by some 4,000 people, took part – it was to be the biggest rescue operation during peace time….
The disaster resulted in a major rethink of yacht racing – as to its risks and the prevention of future catastrophes….
On this day in history : 13th August 1964 – The last two criminals to face the death penalty in Britain are simultaneously hanged for the murder of a laundry van driver In Cumberland….
Evans (left) : Allen (right) – Fair use
24 year old Gwynne Evans dropped to his death at the hands of hangman Harry Allen in Strangeways Prison, Manchester – whilst at exactly the precise same time 21 year old Peter Allen was hanged in Walton Jail, Liverpool by Robert Leslie Stewart….
The pair had been convicted of killing 53 year old John Alan West at his home in Seaton, Cumberland…. John West, known as ‘Jack’, was a bachelor and had worked for the Lakeland Laundry at Workington for 34 years…. He had returned home after an ordinary days work and gone about his usual evening routine…. But then, at 3am, a neighbour was woken by noises coming from West’s house…. On looking out of the window he saw a car disappearing – and he called the police…. West was found dead, with severe head injuries and a stab wound to the chest….
A search of the property revealed a raincoat which had been left behind by Evans…. In one of the pockets was a medal, along with the name and address of a Norma O’Brian in Liverpool…. The police contacted her and she confirmed that she knew Evans and that the medal belonged to him….
Evans was traced through his criminal and army records to the home of his parents – and from there they were able to find Allen…. Within 36 hours both men had been arrested – on being questioned Allen initially claimed that he had been at home with his wife on the night of the murder – however, it soon came to be that both men were blaming each other for striking the fatal blows…. Both were found guilty of murder at trial….
By now public opinion had turned against capital punishment – despite this calls for a reprieve failed…. Theirs were, however, to be the last executions in Britain….
On this day in history : 12th August 1964 – A massive manhunt gets under way after Great Train Robber Charlie Wilson escapes from Winson Green Prison in Birmingham….
Fair use
32 year old Wilson had been the gang’s treasurer; it had been his job to divide up the £2.6m haul between the gang members, with each receiving £150k…. Wilson was quickly captured after the robbery – and at his trial he became known as ‘the silent man’ due to his refusal to speak…. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment….
Just four months into his sentence, on the 12th of August 1964, three men broke into the prison during the early hours and freed him…. They had stolen a ladder from a nearby builders’ yard, which they used to gain access into the grounds of a psychiatric hospital next door to the prison…. From there they were able to use a rope ladder to scale the 20ft prison wall…. Once inside they coshed a guard and tied him up before opening Wilson’s cell door…. It remains a mystery as to how they got the key, as there was only one designated key holder on site – and it was not the guard that they had attacked….
Via Pinterest
Wilson was on the run for three and a half years…. He was eventually recaptured in Canada on the 24th of January 1968 – after his wife had called her parents in England, only for the call to be traced…. Wilson was returned to England to finish his sentence…. He was released in 1978….
He emigrated to Marbella, Spain and became suspected of being involved with a drug smuggling ring…. Wilson was alledged to have lost some of the ring’s money through bad investments – and on the 23rd of April 1990, whilst relaxing beside his swimming pool, he was shot dead by a hitman….
Cottage Capers 