THE tallest member of the German army who was captured by a diminutive Allied soldier has been identified as former circus giant Jakob Nacken.

The 7ft 6ins tall German – who was also the world’s tallest Santa Claus – had been touring the US with the freak show act when the Second World War broke out. He returned home to join the Nazi army but his war came to a dramatic end when he was one of 250 soldiers captured by Corporal Bob Roberts and a unit of seven men in Calais in September 1944.

The comedy moment when Jakob was taken prisoner and searched by 5ft 6ins tall Bob was caught on camera by one of Bob’s giggling comrades.

The photo resurfaced last week after an amateur historian sent it to Bob, now 87 and living in Bournemouth’s War Memorial Homes with his wife Vera.

At the time, the capture of the tallest Nazi made headline news in Britain and the US and was also recorded on historic Pathe News reels.

Jakob, who was aged 38 at the time, was taken back to Britain as a PoW.

After the war ended, he went to live in the US and got work as an over-sized Father Christmas and in 1959 appeared with Ripley’s Believe It or Not on Broadway.

His circus name was the Giant Uranus and he also appeared in New York’s World Fair. He later returned to Germany and died in 1987 aged 81.

Bob said he was not surprised Jakob made a living out of his height. “I never knew his name, only that he was a lance corporal,” he said.

“But he spoke very good English and one of my mates later asked him where he learnt it and he explained he used to be in the circus in America.

“It’s quite incredible that after all these years I have found out who this guy was.

“I’m not surprised he made the most out of his height – there couldn’t have been many taller than him.”