IT was the great chase by land and sea.

Though under police guard at a Hampshire hospital after injuring himself in a motorbike accident, Albert Massey craftily escaped, taking a fast motorboat at Hamble, Southampton, to hide on the Isle of Wight, only to be spotted in Shalfleet Creek.

In a launch, police traced him to Newtown Creek - and the race was on across The Solent's busy shipping lanes, but the fugitive had the faster vessel and gradually drew clear of his pursuers.

Bournemouth Echo: Postcards from Ringwood

But where was he going? Massey himself admitted later he had no firm plan. He suddenly veered down Beaulieu River, beaching the boat near the village and disappeared into the New Forest. Despite a massive search, he evaded capture and seemed to have got away.

At Ringwood, however, he was seen to steal a car.

Twice he was almost caught. At Fareham, Hampshire, a police officer trying to detain him single-handedly, had to leap for his life and four other officers who lay in wait at Marlborough, were forced to take similar action.

His luck finally ran out in Gloucester where, after another furious chase, he was arrested.

The following month, on October 18, 1936, Massey, 22, appeared at Hampshire Quarter Sessions where admitting two charges of theft and one of burglary, he asked for a further 29 offences to be considered.

It was there the court heard of his notorious background. Born in Yorkshire, he left school with virtually no qualifications but found work on a yacht in Hampshire and was employed by a Gosport doctor to look after his car, but was sacked after taking it for joy rides.

Bournemouth Echo: Hamble, Hampshire.

His downfall had begun.

While on probation for causing damage, he enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1934 but soon realised he hated being a serviceman and deserted. Caught, he was brought before a court-martial and sentenced to 54 days detention with an order to return to his regiment. Within days, he again deserted and returned to Gosport - and crime. Arrested for theft, he spent three months behind bars with hard labour.

Released, he quickly found love - and an accomplice.

They stole a motorbike at Swanwick, Hampshire, and roamed the country with her as pillion passenger, principally travelling from one resort to another, surviving by stealing. The bike was eventually found at Chichester, so he took another at Gosport which he crashed near Alton. It was there while detained under police supervision at the town's Poor Law Infirmary he escaped to further his crime wave until he was finally captured in another police chase at Gloucester.

At the Quarter Sessions, the chairman C L Chute and magistrates noted he could have been sent for Borstal training on two previous occasions but the opportunity had been missed.

Bournemouth Echo: Shalfleet Creek, Isle of Wight.

"Rather a pity," the chairman commented. "You are a young man who might do quite well if you settled down and did not think yourself entitled to do these kinds of things at other people's expense."

He then asked Massey: "Do you have anything to say before we pass sentence?"

Massey, who was unrepresented as he said he could not afford the £1 fee for a dock brief, shook his head. He was then sent to Borstal for three years.