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ENGEnglandSport:SwimmingEdward Harry Temme, usually known as Ted, combined Channel swimming with international water polo. Born in Plaistow in 1904, he swam for Plaistow United and worked for the Cornhill Insurance Group. His sporting life included captaining swimming and water-polo teams, representing Great Britain at the 1928 and 1936 Olympics and later managing public baths.
Temme first crossed the English Channel from France to England in August 1927. The Channel Swimming Association records 14 hours and 29 minutes. A contemporary TIME report describes his trudgeon stroke and identifies Thomas William Burgess as his coach. The Dover sources associate the crossing with the tug Alsace, although accounts differ on the exact English landing locality.
Temme completed the reverse direction in August 1934. CSA records 15 hours and 34 minutes; a contemporary Daily News report gives 15 hours and 54 minutes and dates completion to 18 August. The two successes, seven years apart, made him the first swimmer to complete the Channel in both directions; they were not a continuous return crossing. His second swim used Lady Brassey, with H. W. Pearson as pilot and Storey as trainer.
Temme remained active around the Channel after his own record swims. He coached Sam Rockett and supervised the first Daily Mail cross-Channel race in 1950. His career therefore extended from individual swimming to competition, coaching and event organisation.
First swimmer successful in both directions · 1927 and 1934
Also recorded as Ted Temme, Edward H Temme.
Crossing details, recordings & verificationSolo swim
Friday, 5 August 1927 (recorded swim date)
France to England
Elapsed time · 14h 29m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Ratifying body's record checked · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
Solo swim
Saturday, 18 August 1934 (completion)
England to France
A contemporary report places completion on 18 August and gives 15h54m; later listings include 19 August and 15h34m.
Elapsed time · 15h 34m
Start clock · Clock time not confirmed
Finish clock · Clock time not confirmed
Sources disagree · See the crossing record for qualifications and supporting evidence.
1925
Placed third in the ASA long-distance championship on the Thames, according to Olympedia.
5 August 1927
France to England in 14h29m.
1928
Represented Great Britain in Amsterdam.
August 1934
CSA records 15h34m; a contemporary newspaper gives 15h54m and completion on 18 August. A later listing gives 19 August.
1936
Returned to the Olympic water-polo competition in Berlin.
1950
Coached Sam Rockett and supervised the first Daily Mail cross-Channel race.
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First recorded finish
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0 of 1 recorded
Selected swimming performances appear in the English Channel record above.
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