Bill Messer

In 1936, Bill Messer took part in the inaugural Manx International on the Isle of Man, over one lap of the TT course, and finished second to Charles Holland. The following year, Messer won the NCU London Centre 25-mile tandem-paced title, and in his third Manx International in 1938, set a lap record on the first of the two laps. At his fourth crack at the race a year later, Messer eventually got on the winner’s podium after beating Geoff Poole by half-a-wheel after two laps, and 75 miles of racing. Despite his Isle of Man success, and after being originally penciled in for the Great Britain team for the 1939 World Championships in Milan, Messer did not make the squad. However, none of the squad got to compete, after being called home from Italy because of the impending outbreak of War. He later moved to Colchester by the 1960s and changed his name to William Masters, dying there in 1993 aged 77.