[electromagnetic]

No, jury rig is the original nautical term dating back to at least 1788. The term likely originated from French words either ajurie meaning "help/relief" or jour meaning "a day" and joined with the word rig (relating to the ships rigging).

Jury rig literally meant a temporary fix to the mast to support the rigging.

It was likely corrupted in WW2, and I highly doubt it came from the implication of the Urban Dictionary article. The Germans were incredible engineers, and often over engineered their equipment. Jerry rigging likely meant the work that the allied forces did to use the German equipment as some of the earliest uses seem to stem from the airborne forces dropped behind German lines who were under orders to commandeer their equipment. Jerry rig then likely became the phrase for what you did to fix the equipment the Germans sabotaged during their retreat.

I've never read of the Germans retreating and leaving repaired equipment for the allies, so I'd put a lot of money on that being an absolute bullshit claim.

[code_duck]

A piece of equipment could be left repaired due to damage, and I could easily imagine the repairs being hasty or haphazard, given they're in a war zone, due to lack of materials. So it's not that far fetched.

[electromagnetic]

Yes it is far fetched. Most equipment left behind was sabotaged, as is the nature of war.

The phrase jury rigged means "use what you have to make it work". It's a logical corruption that you jury rigged the jerries equipment. It makes no sense at all that you would even find it worth mentioning that the Germans repaired their own equipment.

The logical origin is that the uses were using Jerry Rigged to mean Jury Rigging German equipment. Not that the Germans would also Jury Rig their equipment, that's like inventing a word to say they also tied their fucking shoe laces.