USAFrance to England
Sources disagree
Trained by Thomas William Burgess; accompanied by the Boulogne tug Alsace, according to Dover Museum.
Successful completion supported; published durations differ: 16h 58m, 16h 54m and 16h 40m.
Elapsed swim time · 16h 58m
Duration of the complete swim
Started · Exact start date not confirmed · Clock time not confirmed
Finished · Sunday, 9 September 1923 · Clock time not confirmed
Timing note · Displayed elapsed follows CSA at 16h58m. Dover Museum gives 16h54m. Dover’s biography and the contemporary Sherman County Observer give 16h40m. The original newspaper prints 16, although its OCR says 18. No departure date or phase clocks are established.
Format · Solo · 1-way
Direction · France to England
Arrival · Between St Margaret’s and Kingsdown
Escort vessel · Alsace
How this record was checked
CSA individual record 2235 identifies Charles Toth, United States, successful solo France–England in 1923 at 16:58. Dover’s named biography explicitly dates completion to 9 September and gives 16:40; Dover Museum gives 16:54. The original Sherman County Observer, 14 September 1923, page 1, independently prints 16h40m for the Boston swimmer and reports the crossing on Sunday. The scan was checked against its faulty OCR. Completion is recognised; the three elapsed accounts remain unresolved. No original observer log was inspected.
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Individual successful record: United States, solo France–England, 1923, 16:58.
Limitations · Year only; no phase dates, clocks, pilot or observer supplied. Historical swim predates CSA formation; this is later published recognition.
Channel Swimming Dover: Charles Toth biography
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Named biographical profile: Boston hotel waiter, earlier life, attempts and 9 September 1923 completion.
Limitations · Birth accounts conflict within the profile; it reports 16:40, differing from CSA 16:58 and Dover Museum 16:54. Underlying civil documents were not independently inspected.
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Named historical sections for Toth, Michel, Helmi and Temme, including selected dates, routes, coaches and support vessels.
Limitations · Retrospective collection research. Several timings, attempt counts and landing descriptions differ from other sources; disagreements are retained or the uncertain detail omitted.
Sherman County Observer, 14 September 1923, page 1
Checked 2026-10-31
Supports · Named Boston swimmer Charles Toth; report of Sunday Channel completion and 16h40m elapsed.
Limitations · Original scan visually inspected through University of Oregon Libraries / Sherman County Historical Museum. OCR misreads 16 as 18; the printed number is 16. Does not reconcile CSA 16h58m or museum 16h54m.