Justine’s Journey from Saigon to Arlon

Preparation and Departure

  • March 10, 1931: In Saigon, Justine purchased an FN M70 350cc Touring Standard motorcycle from Mr. Martiny, local FN agent.(1)
  • March 13, 1931: Obtained her motorcycle license after just three days of learning to ride.(2)
  • March 16, 1931: Departed Saigon on her motorcycle, beginning her 22,000-kilometer journey back to Europe.(2)

Southeast Asia

  • Late March 1931: Suffered a serious fall near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, forcing a 10-day recovery period.(2)
  • April 1931: After recovery, visited the Angkor temple ruins in Cambodia.(2)
  • April-May 1931: Traveled from Cambodia to Bangkok, Thailand.(2)
  • May 1931: Unable to cross the mountains of Burma by motorcycle, traveled by boat from Bangkok to Singapore, then to Calcutta, India.(1)(2)

India and the Himalayas

  • May-June 1931: In India, made a detour to the Himalayas to visit the Citroën Yellow Cruise mission.(1)
  • June 26, 1931: After waiting for over a month, departed from Srinagar in Kashmir.(1)

The Desert Crossings

  • July 1931: Crossed Kashmir and entered Baluchistan, purchasing a sidecar to transport necessary water and fuel reserves.(2)
  • July-August 1931: Reached Quetta, Pakistan, which had recently been destroyed by an earthquake.(1)
  • August 1931: In Douzhab, Persia (Iran), fell ill with fever and sunstroke, requiring 10 days of recovery under the care of a local doctor.(2)
  • August-September 1931: Completed the grueling 1,000-kilometer desert crossing from Douzhab to Meched (Mashhad).(2)
  • September 1931: Traversed another 1,000 kilometers from Meched to Tehran.(2)
  • September-October 1931: Completed the third 1,000-kilometer desert crossing from Tehran to Quemanshah (Kermanshah).(2)

Middle East and Entry to Europe

  • October 1931: Reached Baghdad, where a cholera outbreak forced her to alter her route northward through Mosul and Aleppo.(2)
  • November 1931: Arrived in Constantinople (Istanbul), marking her return to European soil.(2)

European Return

  • November-December 1931: Traveled through Europe via Edirne, Plovdiev, Sofia, Belgrade, Zagreb, Trieste, Venice, Milan, Turin, and Lyon to Paris.(2)
  • January 1932: From Paris, traveled to the Belgian border where she was met by representatives of the FN factory including M. DEBRUGE, Hanquet, Joseph WEERENS, and Olivier CHARBONNEL.(2)
  • January 22, 1932: Arrived in Arlon, Belgium, completing her extraordinary 22,000-kilometer journey.(1)

Contemporary Media Coverage

  • October-November 1931: Featured in FN Sports magazine article by Paul Destoc while still on her journey.(2)
  • October 16, 1931: Featured in L’Auto magazine, which praised both her achievement and the reliability of the FN motorcycle: “When you honor this athlete, you also have to mention that this machine made a decisive contribution to her performance.”(2)

References:

(1) “La fabuleuse histoire de Justine TIBESAR.pdf” – Le fabuleux raid de 22.000 km, en 1931, de Marie Justine TIBESAR, à moto du Vietnam à Arlon by Jean-Marie Zimmerman

(2) “Artikel Justine Tibesar englisch.pdf” – Report from the magazine “FN Sports” / October – November 1931 by Paul Destoc

Her Motorcycle

“I don’t pass a single day without thinking about Lopigneux.”