Johnny Ramensky | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jonas Ramanauskas (1906-04-06)6 April 1906[1][a] Glenboig,North Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Died | 4 November 1972(1972-11-04) (aged 66)[1] |
| Nationality | Lithuanian |
| Other names | John Ramsay |
| Occupation | Criminal |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret McManus (m. 1931; her death 1934[1][b]) Lisa or Lily Mulholland (unknown)[2] |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Unit | Royal Fusiliers Commandos |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Military Medal |
Johnny RamenskyMM, also known asJohn Ramsay,Gentleman Johnny, andGentle Johnny (6 April 1906[a] – 4 November 1972)[1] was a Scottish career criminal who used hissafe-cracking abilities as acommando during theSecond World War. A popular song about him, "The Ballad of Johnny Ramensky", was written in 1959 byNorman Buchan, later to become aLabour Partymember of parliament, and recorded by singer Enoch Kent, Buchan's brother-in-law.[4] Though a career criminal, Ramensky received thenickname "Gentle Johnny" as he never used violence when being apprehended by the police.[1]
Ramensky was bornJonas Ramanauskas[3][5] orYonas Ramanauskas,[3] the son ofLithuanian immigrant parents, atGlenboig, a mining village inNorth Lanarkshire, nearCoatbridge. His father died when Ramensky was about eight and the remaining family moved to theGorbals, in the south side ofGlasgow.[3] In Glasgow, he attendedRutherglen Academy,[2] and by eleven he had begun committing crimes, eventually, at the age of 15,[5] 16[1] or 18,[2] being sent toPolmont Borstal, spending three years there.[1]
He initially worked down thecoal mines, similar to his father who had been a clay miner, and it was there he became familiar with the uses ofdynamite.[3][4]
Throughout his life, Ramensky demonstrated great strength andgymnastics skills which he used to begin a career as aburglar, followed by graduating to safe-cracking, also known in the underworld as a "Peter man". During his criminal career, Ramensky maintained that he never targeted individuals' houses but only businesses and he became known for never resorting to violence despite being arrested numerous times, resulting in the nickname "Gentleman (or Gentle) Johnny".[1] Detective Superintendent Robert Colquhoun, one of his old adversaries, when taken ill, was sent a message by Ramensky wishing him a speedy recovery, suggesting he had been working too hard in pursuing him.[4]
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 atHM 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 35 km (15 and 22 mi) and was caught 28 hours after his escape.[3][4]
After being returned to prison he was placed in solitary confinement andshackled. Later in 1934,Independent Labour Party MP forGlasgow Shettleston,John McGovern, brought up the shackling issue withGodfrey Collins, theSecretary of State for Scotland. In December 1934, Ramensky was released from his shackles, making him the last man to be shackled in a Scottish prison cell.[1][3]
Ramensky was released after serving a sentence in Peterhead Prison on 8 October 1942.[3] During his time there, he had written to officials seeking references to join the army. Due to the intervention of a senior police officer fromAberdeen, he had attracted the interest ofRobert Laycock who was seeking people with skills which could be used in commando raiding forces. As a result, he was enlisted with theRoyal Fusiliers in January 1943 and transferred immediately to theCommandos, where he was trained as a soldier whilst also instructing on the use of explosives. Although being officially enlisted with the Royal Fusiliers, he never actually served with them, spending his entire wartime service with theNo. 30 Commando.[3]
Ramensky, using his safe-blowing skills, performedsabotage missions, being parachuted behind enemy lines to retrieve documents fromAxis headquarters. This culminated during theItalian campaign, where 14embassy strong boxes or safes were opened in only one day.[3] The exploits may have been exaggerated as they supposedly include obtaining documents fromErwin Rommel's headquarters inNorth Africa, andCarinhall the county home ofHermann Göring in theSchorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve.[1][6] However, the raid on Rommel's headquarters occurred in 1941 while Ramensky was in prison. Carinhall's treasures were removed before the home was destroyed by aLuftwaffe demolition squad, on Göring's orders, while Ramensky was in Italy.[3]
He remained in the army after the cessation of hostilities as a translator for the allied forces who were repatriating approximately 70,000 Lithuanians from camps in theLübeck area. Following this, he had a short spell as an officer'sbatman before beingdemobbed in 1946.[citation needed]
Ramensky did not give up his safe-cracking lifestyle and spent the time after the war in and out of jail, includingHM Prison Barlinnie andSaughton Prison.[7] In 1955, he remarried to Lisa or Lily Mulholland.[3][4]
He was sentenced to a one-year sentence inPerth Prison, after being caught on a shop roof inAyr. After suffering astroke he died on 4 November 1972 inPerth Royal Infirmary.[4]
Ramensky's friendSonny Leitch, also a career criminal who served in the armed forces, said that Ramensky told him that he had stolen a hoard ofNazi plunder during theAllied march on Rome in 1944, and that this hoard was later kept at theShepton Mallet military prison in Somerset, and the Royal Navy supply depot atCarfin, Lanarkshire, after the war. He claimed that the hoard contained portraits ofHitler,Eva Braun,Göring,Goebbels andHimmler, and a treasure trove of jewellery and gold.[7]
In 1959,The Ballad of Johnny Ramensky, was written byNorman Buchan, later to become aLabour Partymember of parliament, and recorded by singer Enoch Kent, Buchan's brother-in-law.[4]
Roddy McMillan, noted Scottish actor, wroteRamensky Must Go Free sometimes given asLet Ramensky Go.[4][8]
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