Johnny Ramensky on his wedding day, February 19, 1955, with bride Lily Mulholland (Image: Mirrorpix) Wearing only his underpants, Ramensky fled his Peterhead cell and even swam across a freezing river before being discovered in Aberdeen a few days later. Over the years tales of his life became the subject of songs, books and movies despite spending 40 of his 67 years behind bars. After he took took ill Ramensky had once sent him a note wishing him well and suggested he had perhaps been working too hard trying to catch him.

It seemed his compulsion to break into whatever he could was not quelled by his dangerous feats in the Armed Forces and he flitted in and out of jail until, in November, 1955, he was hit with 10 years’ “preventative detention” at Peterhead Prison, which offered him few privileges. If he was determined enough, he could live on two slices of bread and a glass of water a day. And we know that Ramensky is a very determined man.”

He enlisted with the Royal Highland Fusiliers and was given commando training at the Special Operations Executive headquarters in Hampshire. His 1934 escape had followed the death of his young wife die when he was refused permission to attend the funeral. He told us he was wanting to see his wife (Lily Mulholland), whom he hadn’t seen for years, and that his feet were very sore.” In October 1931, Ramensky had married Margaret McManus and appears to have stayed out of trouble until March 1934 when he was sentenced to five years at HM Prison Peterhead. [3] According to several reports, Margaret died in 1934 [b] and, after being denied parole to attend her funeral, Ramensky made his first escape on 4 November 1934. [1] [3] [4] His escape, the first ever from Peterhead Prison, [1] was short lived. He travelled between 24 and 35km (15 and 22mi) and was caught 28 hours after his escape. [3] [4] Ramensky's friend Sonny Leitch, also a career criminal who served in the armed forces, said that Ramensky told him that he had stolen a hoard of Nazi plunder during the Allied march on Rome in 1944, and that this hoard was later kept at the Shepton Mallet military prison in Somerset, and the Royal Navy supply depot at Carfin, Lanarkshire, after the war. He claimed that the hoard contained portraits of Hitler, Eva Braun, Göring, Goebbels and Himmler, and a treasure trove of jewellery and gold. [7] Legacy [ edit ]

He agreed and enlisted with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, where he was given commando training to complement his already well-honed expertise at infiltration.Ramensky was assigned to 30 Commando, which operated ahead of front-line troops, gathering intelligence for the Allied forces before and after the D-Day landings of 1944. Discovering the Germans' intentions and defensive capabilities was vital. Such was the respect Ramensky had, both sides of the law attended the war hero's funeral at St Kentigern's Cemetery in Glasgow's Lambhill and his obituary appeared in every Scots newspaper.