Zittenfield Twins, Bernice & Phyllis

The twins were born in 1914 in New York to Russian parents. Bernice married John Frant in New York in 1935; Phyllis married Russian immigrant David Wiener in New York in 1937. Bernice retired to Miami Beach where she died in 1982

They had 2 unsuccessful swims; aged 13 in 1927 France to England, swam for 4hrs 30mins and aged 16 in 1930 England to France, swam for 12hrs 34mins, abandoned due to  both feeling the cold,  stung by Jellyfish and troubled by porpoises.

In 1930 the twins were bridesmaids at the wedding of Channel Swimmer Mercedes Gleitze. Gleitze married engineer Patrick Carey in Dover

1927 New York City. The Zittenfield twins, Bernice and Phyllis have just established a new junior world’s record for the half-mile swim at the Hotel Shelton pool, recently. They are thirteen years old. Bernice swam the distance in 13 minutes 30 seconds, while Phyllis’s time was 13 minutes, 34 seconds. The senior record for the distance, held by Martha Norelius is 12 minutes, 47 1/5 seconds.

May 23 1929 — Bernice and Phyllis Zittenfield, 15 year old twins, who weigh 165 pounds apiece, sailed on the Rorhambeau today to swim tho English channel. They won’t come back until they’ve accomplished it. said their mother, Mrs. Teddy Zittenfield, who accompanied them.

Attempt Channel Swim Dover. Eng., Sept 15 1930—Two United States girls, twins, Bernice and Phillis Zittenfield, were engaged today in an attempt to swim the English channel. Entering the water at South Foreland at 6.50 a.m., the twins drew slowly away from land and headed towards the far-away French shore.