Michael Russell of Holt, Norfolk has written to the "Daily Telegraph" on
July 30th as follows (relevant paragraph copied):

"On April 22, 1939, Geoffrey Stephenson was strapped into a Slingsby Gull 1
at Dunstable at 2.55pm, took a winch launch to about 300ft and soared all
the way to Dover. He then climbed in cloud to 6,000ft to glide across
those "21 wet miles" and land safely at Le Wast, about 10 miles east of
Boulogne. The dear old Gull could probably achieve a glide angle of about
1:20, so Stephenson had to work at it."

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).
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"W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.)." wrote in message
...

No, there have been many cross channel flights which were true soaring
flights rather than a glide from a high launch.

The first glider channel crossing was done in the 1930s from, I think,
Dunstable (North of London).

I retrieved my gliding partner John Bally from France 18 years ago, he
launched from Sutton Bank in Yorkshire in our ASW20L.

W.J. (Bill) Dean (U.K.).