Pilot and Course Director: Mr Alex. N. Cameron, Extra Master & Lecturer, Leith Nautical College

Provider of boat: Mr Victor Dawson, owner of the yacht Dolphin

Organiser and masseur: Mr Thomas Bunyan, Baths Superintendent, Edinburgh Corporation

In rowing boat: Mr J. Martin Inglis, oarsman; Mr Arthur Peffers (oarsman), Mr George W. Ferguson (Captain of Scottish Water Polo team), swimming advisor and companion in the water towards the end of the swim.

Other witnesses: Dr Thomas Wright (medical advisor), Mr H.G. Wellby and Mr H. MacMillan (crew members), Mrs Madge Ferguson (in charge of the commissariat), and two A.S.A. Eastern Counties swimming officials - Mr Edward Fox and Mr J.B. Riddle - both also representing respectively the Edinburgh Evening News and the Evening Dispatch.

Hosts during stay in Edinburgh: Mr and Mrs G.W. Ferguson

On Wednesday 17th July 1929 Miss Mercedes Gleitze arrived in Edinburgh to make an attempt to swim the Forth. Her previous conquests included The English Channel, The Strait of Gibraltar, The Wash, Lough Neagh and Loch Ryan.

Miss Gleitze is of powerful build although not tall, and from her physique it was apparent to those who met her that here was no ordinary swimmer but a girl whom nature had endowed with all the attributes for long distance work. Arrangements were made to attack the Firth starting from Port Seton on Sunday 21st July. The sea on that day proved too choppy to allow Miss Gleitze to do anything more than six miles of her distance. The effort, however, convinced those in charge of the swim that the crossing was within her powers and it was determined to give her every possible chance on her next attempt.

Unfortunately Mr Jack Yuille, who provided the boat on her first attack, was unable to come to our aid again and arrangements had to be made elsewhere. Through the medium of Mr Arthur Peffers, the Dolphin (property of Mr Victor Dawson) was secured, and arrangements were made for the attack to commence from Gullane on Sunday 28th July. Consultations were held as to tides, of course, and it was agreed that the lady should take to the water at 11 o’clock.

All necessary preparations were made, and prompt to time our little party assembled on the beach at Gullane Bay. Miss Gleitze was given her final massage by Mr Bunyan and everything was ready for a start. The boat, however, was not yet in sight! All the party were greatly perturbed at the thought of a late start but Miss Gleitze herself was as cool as cucumber. At 11.30 am the yacht appeared and Mr Peffers rowed ashore. Final preparations were now made and Miss Gleitze was covered from head to toe with lard and Vaseline.

At 11.53 am she entered the water, clad in an ordinary swimming suit of the Warrender Baths Club colours, and wearing a rosary round her neck and two slave bangles on her arms. She wore no goggles or bathing cap but had a veil over her face and head to keep back her long hair and to protect her eyes from the salt spray. A large company of holiday-makers had assembled to see her off and a rousing cheer sped her on her way. 

Miss Gleitze commenced her swim by using the overarm side stroke but after progressing some 200 yards she got under way on her favourite breast stroke, striking 28 to the minute increasing to 32 and up to 36 in a very short distance. She was soon joined by the rowboat manned by Mr J. Martin Inglis as oarsman and Mr Geo. W. Ferguson in charge of the supplies, and music was rendered to the swimmer throughout by the medium of the gramophone. On occasions this was changed to a vocal effort on the part of the boat’s crew which, although earnest, could scarcely be described as classic!

The yacht Dolphin followed under the charge of Mr A.N. Cameron of the Leith Nautical College and had on board Mr Bunyan, Great care was taken that the swimmer received none of the protection from weather which could have been afforded by the yacht.

The tide at the commencement of the swim was ebbing and the swimmer was carried in a northerly direction for a distance of 2.2 miles. The wind was south westerly, light, and the sea slightly choppy. Shortly after the start the temperature of the water dropped from 56ºF to 54ºF, rising again when the flood tide made to 57ºF.   

Two hours after leaving the tide was slack and very shortly afterwards the flood tide was felt at a distance of 2½ miles swim. This now began to help the swimmer and at about 2.30 the wind became vary variable with a gentle swell. The rate of progress increased as the benefit of the flood tide became felt and between 3.53 and 4.53 the swimmer covered 1.9 statute miles.

Miss Gleitze was being nourished with hot coffee and hot milk alternately from thermos flasks kept on the small boat and replenished from the yacht, where Mrs Ferguson was in charge of the commissariat. When Miss Gleitze asked for a sandwich the request was greatly cheered. It is regarded as a very good sign when a long distance swimmer asks for solid food.

Periodic trips were being made from the shore by pleasure boats and fishing smacks, the occupants of which cheered Miss Gleitze on her way by rendering community singing in lusty fashion.

Thus did the swim progress with comparative simplicity save for the discomfort of passing rain squalls and fog over the land at intervals, making hourly observations impossible. By 7.30 p.m. the swimmer had covered rather over 9 miles with about 2½ remaining to swim. The ebb tide, however, now began to make itself felt and it was apparent that the true struggle would now begin. The wind had changed to south easterly, light in force, with a rather choppy south easterly sea. The atmosphere was distinctly chilly but the fog had lifted and the Fife coast could be seen.

The Methil pilot boat visited the swim and arrangements were made with them for a landing. Those skilled old sea-dogs gave Miss Gleitze a lusty cheer as they made off in their workmanlike craft. Who could know better than the pilots the magnificence of the girl’s performance?

Nearing 8 o’clock the strength of the ebb tide made progress very slow but the swimmer was still going strong and it became apparent that a conquest was in sight, although the battle was not yet won. Boats from the Fife coast were now visiting the swim and information was given that an immense crowd had assembled on the shore to welcome the swimmer.

From 9 o’clock onwards progress was extremely slow and it was thought that the swimmer was beginning to feel the strain and, in a greater degree, the cold. She still stuck nobly to her task however and at about 9.30 p.m. the shore was only one mile distant. The party was now joined by a boat with local knowledge of suitable landing places, it being obvious that Miss Gleitze would require to land where there were no rocks. At this point she refused nourishment for the first time and the party became a little anxious.

Darkness had now set in and hurricane lamps were lit to assist progress. The twinkling of lamps came from the shore, which seemed so near and yet so far. By now Miss Gleitze had a regular escort of boats, and advice as to landing was freely proffered which, had it all been accepted, would have kept the party going up and down the Fife coast until morning! Mr Cameron, however, wisely adhered to his original plan and pinned his faith on the official small boat before mentioned. It was with the greatest difficulty that the visiting boats were kept clear of Miss Gleitze in order that no unwitting protection should be given.

At 10.15 p.m. with only about ½ mile to go, the rate of progress was distinctly slower but Miss Gleitze was the personification of pluck and refused all offers of company in the water and insisted on keeping to the programme, which meant that ten minutes from the shore another swimmer was to enter the water to keep the crowd back to allow a clear landing. The cheering of the crowd on shore could now be distinctly heard and the importance and magnitude of the undertaking became more apparent than ever to the party.

Slowly but surely the shore was neared and at about 11 o’clock Miss Gleitze sanctioned the company of Mr Ferguson in the water. Shortly afterwards the yacht was anchored and the party took to the boats. Miss Gleitze discarded her veil and the final act commenced. Still swimming with great courage Miss Gleitze kept level with Mr Ferguson and the crowd on shore and in the boats went frantic with excitement. When Mr Ferguson was seen to raise his arms and indicate that a footing could be obtained, the cheering knew no bounds. The boats made for the shore and the party endeavoured to clear a landing place. Miss Gleitze continued to swim although only in two feet of water, and at 11.15 p.m. crawled up the beach unaided and more or less exhausted. It should here be mentioned that she pulled herself over the shingle to absolute dry land and it was not until she was well clear of the water that a hand was laid on her. The landing point was just below the Dubbie pit near Dysart.

The landing will never be forgotten by those who took part in it. Pitch darkness save for the light of lanterns, cheers and screams intermingled, and it was only by the use of physical force, aye and indeed violence, that a way was cleared. The local police did splendid work but were hopelessly out-numbered by the frenzied crowd numbering some 12,000.

Sturdy Fifers carried Miss Gleitze up the beach to the house of Mr J. Lindsay Murray where the qualifications of Mr Bunyan and Dr Wright, assisted by Mrs Ferguson, were put to the test. Miss Gleitze was sorely exhausted, though not so much as was expected, and after about 1½ hours she was able to wave from the window to the crowd which was still waiting for a glimpse of their heroine. The official party now began to feel the reaction and were greatly indebted to Mr and Mrs Murray for their kind hospitality.

It might be mentioned that Mr Inglis rowed the small boat the whole way across. In itself, no mean feat.

The distance covered by the swim was 11.86 statute miles as the crow flies, and 13.24 miles were actually swum. 

Thus ended the greatest of all Forth swims, accomplished by a mere girl of 28 years whose pluck and powers of endurance were a revelation to all who beheld the effort. Her modesty on talking over the feat was not the least cause of the admiration in which she is held by those who were privileged to assist her and her name will live forever in the minds of them all. She came, she saw, she conquered. 

(Handwritten statement, typed for ease of reading): We the undersigned do hereby certify on soul and conscience that on Sunday the twenty-eighth of July nineteen hundred and twenty nine Miss MERCEDES GLEITZE swam across the Firth of Forth from Gullane to Dysart in eleven hours twenty two minutes. We further certify that she accomplished this feat totally unaided and that at no point did she receive protection from the elements by means of lee from any boat, nor did she at any time touch anything while in the water with the exception of the feeding cup.