Justine Tibesar’s Global Expedition

While Justine Tibesar is perhaps best known for her remarkable solo motorcycle journey across Asia and Europe, her global adventures were significantly shaped by her connection to the Wanderwell Expeditions. This association provided Justine with a structured framework for international travel, practical experience, and perhaps most importantly, access to parts of the world that were largely inaccessible to ordinary travelers in the early 1930s.

Origins And Founders

Walter Wanderwell: The Visionary

Walter Wanderwell was born Valerian Johannes Pieczynski in 1897 in Poland. A man of many identities and seemingly boundless ambition, he adopted several names throughout his life, including “Captain” Walter Wanderwell—a title and name that would become his permanent identity.

Walter’s global adventures began after World War I when, in 1919, he embarked on what he called the “Million Dollar Wager Tour”—an ambitious attempt to drive around the world in a Ford Model T. Initially, this journey was framed as a race between two teams, though it eventually evolved into something much more significant.

Walter was multilingual, charismatic, and possessed a remarkable ability to secure sponsorships and support for his global ventures. His vision was to promote international peace and understanding through travel at a time when the world was still recovering from the devastation of World War I.

Aloha Wanderwell: The Intrepid Partner

In 1922, Walter’s expedition took a pivotal turn when he met 16-year-old Idris Hall (who would later become known as Aloha Wanderwell) in France. Responding to an advertisement for a “brave, young woman to join an around-the-world expedition,” Idris, a Canadian schoolgirl with an adventurous spirit, became the expedition’s driver, filmmaker, and eventually Walter’s wife in 1925.

Aloha proved to be much more than a companion; she became an essential partner in the expeditions, developing her own skills as a driver, filmmaker, and public speaker. Her presence added a new dimension to the expedition—a young woman navigating challenging terrains across the globe at a time when female adventurers were exceedingly rare.

WAWEC: Structure And Philosophy

The Work Around the World Educational Club evolved from Walter’s initial expedition concept into a more structured organization. By the late 1920s, WAWEC had developed several distinctive characteristics:

Military-Inspired Organization

WAWEC was partly modeled on the Boy Scouts, with members wearing military-style uniforms complete with insignias and distinctive caps. This paramilitary structure included:

• Hierarchical ranks within the organization
• Formal protocols and procedures
• Disciplined schedules and responsibilities
• Training programs for new members

Walter, who called himself “Captain,” maintained authority at the top of this structure, with Aloha serving as his lieutenant. WAWEC members were expected to maintain military-like discipline and adherence to the organization’s codes of conduct.

“Law, Not War” Philosophy

The core philosophy of WAWEC was encapsulated in its motto: “Law, Not War.” In the aftermath of World War I, as the League of Nations was working to establish mechanisms for international cooperation, WAWEC positioned itself as a grassroots movement promoting peace and understanding across borders.

The organization advocated for:

• International cooperation through personal connections
• Cultural exchange and understanding
• Documentation of diverse peoples and environments
• Creating a sense of global citizenship

Walter described the group as “International Police” in some contexts, suggesting a role in ensuring global order through mutual understanding rather than conflict.

The Expedition Vehicles

Central to WAWEC’s identity and operations were its distinctive expedition vehicles—primarily modified Ford Model T automobiles.

The Iconic Ford Model Ts

The expedition employed Ford Model Ts for several practical reasons:

• They were relatively affordable and widely available
• Their simple mechanics made them easier to repair in remote locations
• Spare parts could be found in many places around the world
• Their rugged design could handle challenging road conditions

Captain Wanderwell was particularly fond of Fords and developed considerable expertise in modifying them for expedition purposes. He would take the Ford chassis and completely redesign the body, creating what was known as the “Speedster Tall Section.” These modifications included:

• Changing to tractor-style wheels to increase ground clearance
• Designing removable rubber tires to allow the vehicles to run on railroad tracks when necessary
• Reinforced chassis and suspension systems
• Expanded storage capacity for equipment and supplies
• Custom paint jobs featuring expedition logos and slogans

The most distinctive visual feature was the exterior decoration—the cars were painted with the words “AROUND THE WORLD BY MOTOR” in bold lettering, along with flags of various nations and other slogans promoting the expedition’s mission.

Typical Vehicle Equipment

Each WAWEC unit’s vehicle was outfitted with equipment essential for their global mission:

• Camping gear for overnight stays in remote locations
• Photography equipment for documenting their journey
• Spare parts and tools for vehicle maintenance
• Promotional materials for presentations
• Storage for postcards and pamphlets for sale
• Personal belongings of team members

Depending on their specific mission, some vehicles featured specialized equipment like portable film projectors for presentations, darkroom facilities for developing photographs, or enhanced storage for particular regions where supplies might be scarce.

Self-Supporting Operations

WAWEC operated on a self-supporting model, with each unit expected to finance its own travels through various entrepreneurial activities.

Funding Methods

WAWEC units supported themselves primarily through:

1. Public Presentations: Teams would arrange lectures and film screenings in towns and cities along their routes, charging admission for these educational events. Walter and Aloha had perfected the art of storytelling and used their films to captivate audiences eager for glimpses of exotic locations.
2. Merchandise Sales: Members sold various items to generate income:
   • Postcards featuring expedition photographs
   • Pamphlets about the WAWEC philosophy and mission
   • Souvenirs from their travels
   • Autographed photographs of expedition members
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Walter excelled at securing sponsorships from businesses interested in the publicity generated by the expedition. Major sponsors included:
   • Ford Motors, providing the base vehicles for the expedition
   • Indian Motorcycle, supporting motorized two-wheel travel
   • Dunlop Tires, crucial for navigating varied terrain
   • Standard Oil, supplying motor oil (used exclusively in South America)
   • Shell Oil, providing fuel throughout Europe (with Shell representatives documented welcoming the expedition in France)
   • Remington Typewriters, for correspondence and documentation
4. Passage Arrangements: The Wanderwells were adept at negotiating free passage on steamships in exchange for providing entertainment and lectures during voyages, as documented in their arrangements aboard the SS Ile de France.

This self-supporting model meant that WAWEC members developed entrepreneurial skills alongside their exploration activities. For young members like Justine Tibesar, this provided practical experience in public relations, sales, and financial management.

Documentation And Filmmaking

A defining characteristic of the Wanderwell expeditions was their emphasis on visual documentation of their travels through photography and filmmaking.

Films and Photography

By the late 1920s, the Wanderwells had accumulated an impressive archive of film footage from around the world. Their films documented:

• Indigenous cultures and traditional practices
• Natural landscapes and wildlife
• Urban environments and architectural landmarks
• The expedition team navigating challenging terrains

Aloha became particularly skilled as a cinematographer, capturing footage that would later be compiled into feature-length documentary films. The team’s films offered Western audiences rare glimpses of remote cultures and locations that were largely inaccessible to ordinary travelers.

Technical Challenges

Creating these visual records presented numerous challenges:

• Transporting delicate camera equipment over rough terrain
• Maintaining and repairing cameras in remote locations
• Finding suitable conditions for developing film
• Protecting film from extreme temperatures and humidity

The expedition’s mobile darkroom represented an innovative solution to some of these challenges, allowing for immediate processing of visual materials rather than waiting weeks or months to develop film upon returning to more developed regions.

Global Reach

At its peak in the late 1920s, WAWEC operated approximately 40 separate units around the world, spanning nearly every continent.

Expedition Units

Each WAWEC unit:

• Was assigned a specific number for identification
• Consisted of 3-4 members, typically of diverse nationalities
• Was given a specific route or region to explore
• Operated semi-autonomously while adhering to WAWEC protocols

These units traveled by various means, including:

• Modified Ford automobiles (the primary mode)
• Motorcycles (with and without sidecars)
• Bicycles (including tandem bicycles in some cases)
• Ships for ocean crossings

The Experience Of WAWEC Members

For young people like Justine Tibesar, joining WAWEC offered an extraordinary opportunity for global travel at a time when international exploration was largely inaccessible to ordinary people—especially young women.

Daily Life in a WAWEC Unit

Members of WAWEC units experienced:

• Regular travel through changing landscapes and cultures
• Interactions with diverse peoples and languages
• The practical challenges of vehicle maintenance in remote areas
• The entrepreneurial aspects of funding their journey
• Camaraderie with fellow team members from different countries
• The discipline of the organization’s quasi-military structure

For many members, the skills developed during their time with WAWEC—mechanical knowledge, cross-cultural communication, photography, public speaking, and self-reliance—proved valuable in their subsequent lives and careers.

Meeting The Wanderwells

In late 1929, Justine’s path crossed with that of Walter and Aloha Wanderwell, founders of the Work Around the World Educational Club (WAWEC). According to research by Randy Eustace-Walden, Aloha Wanderwell had spent time in Belgium as a young girl and may have first met Justine during this period. When Aloha returned to Europe in the fall of 1929, she reconnected with Justine and apparently invited her to join the Wanderwell Expeditions.

At this time, the Wanderwells were expanding their global expedition with a newly polished promotional film, a documentary titled “With Car & Camera Around the World.” As detailed in Christian Fink-Jensen and Randy Eustace-Walden’s book “Aloha Wanderwell,” the crew was growing to twelve members, with Justine and Olga van Dreissche joining alongside two young Germans — Frederick Muller and Hans Wolfart — who would accompany the expedition across the Atlantic.

The Wanderwells had established a reputation as masters of the travelogue, having visited numerous countries and documented diverse cultures with their films at a time when such technological documentation was relatively new. Their ability to capture these cultures and environments was particularly significant, as these places would soon be transformed by technological advances and political changes.

This chance meeting would prove transformative for Justine, opening doors to global exploration that might otherwise have remained closed to a young woman from Luxembourg in the early 20th century.

The Atlantic Crossing

On November 1, 1929, Justine sailed from Le Havre, France aboard the S.S. Ile de France, accompanied by her friend Olga van Dreissche (sometimes written as von Dreisk), another Belgian recruit. Both young women were part of a larger contingent that included Aloha and Walter Wanderwell themselves.

The timing of their departure was historically significant. Just days before they set sail, on October 24, 1929, the Wall Street stock market had crashed in what newspapers called “the Greatest Crash in Wall Street’s History.” As they boarded the Ile de France—an ocean liner decorated in art deco style and considered one of the most beautiful ships afloat—economic uncertainty loomed on the horizon, with the expedition’s funds primarily held in U.S. accounts.

The expedition team traveled with a notable class distinction—Walter and Aloha secured first-class accommodations for themselves, while Justine, Olga, and the rest of the crew traveled in steerage. This arrangement reflected the hierarchical structure of the Wanderwell organization, with its military-inspired rankings and protocols.

According to “Aloha Wanderwell,” the departure day was atmospheric: a gray sky with light mist, the air unusually still as the expedition’s cars were swung aboard by slow donkey cranes. The passengers enjoyed their last glimpse of Europe as the sun set, unaware of exactly what would await them when they docked in New York.

Ship records described Justine as a 20-year-old Belgian citizen, 5’4″ tall, fluent in Flemish, French, and German, and working as a nurse. Her passport had been issued in London just weeks earlier, on October 7, 1929. Her last-known address was her father’s (Jean Tibesar) house in Annancy-sur-Meuse (now known as Annancy-sur-Crusne), France, barely 32 miles from Ell, Luxembourg, where she was born.

Olga, described in some accounts as an “aviatrix” (airplane pilot), was slightly older than Justine—around 24 years old. Historical photographs show her often wearing aviator-style glasses, perhaps reflecting her interest in aviation or simply a fashion choice that complemented the adventurous spirit of the Wanderwell expeditions.

Joining The Global Expedition

Upon arrival in America, Justine and Olga traveled to the Wanderwell base camp in Miami, Florida, where they were formally integrated into the WAWEC organization. This global expedition group had units operating in various parts of the world, all promoting international peace and understanding through their travels and documentation.

Justine was assigned to WAWEC Unit #27, which would travel through the southern United States and eventually toward the West Coast. Meanwhile, Olga took on a different role, first serving as an advance scout for the Wanderwells’ Cuba expedition in early 1930, and later traveling through the northern United States.

Distinctive Personalities

According to Christian Fink-Jensen and Randy Eustace-Walden’s book “Aloha Wanderwell,” Justine was “a cherubic-faced brunette with a quick tongue, able to silence any of the male crew members. She had an affinity for long silk scarves and liked to throw them around her neck with a flourish like Isadora Duncan, before sauntering into a car or away from a boring conversation. Aloha liked Justine but kept a wary eye out as well: Walter was no less impressed.”

This vivid description suggests that despite her youth, Justine was confident and assertive within the group. Her ability to hold her own among the predominantly male expedition members speaks to her strong personality—a trait that would prove essential during her later solo travels through some of the world’s most challenging regions.

American Tour

Tampa Florida, April 2, 1930

One of the earliest documented stops on Justine’s American tour was in Tampa, Florida. On April 2, 1930, The Tampa Daily Times published an article titled “Girl Travelers Visit Tampa With Old Car Holding Touring Record.”

The article described a tour group that included Olga Van Driesk, who was quoted saying “When she does not go, we push her!” in reference to their vintage car. Olga was described as a “24-year-old girl” who was “completing the last lap of a journey around the world.”

According to the article, Olga was the captain of their unit, speaking six languages: French, Dutch, German, English, Spanish, Italian, and “a little Czech.” The article mentioned that she had been in Venice, fresh from her studies at boarding school, when the Wanderwell expedition came through. “Opportunity beckoned and Olga heeded the call with all the enthusiasm of a change-loving nature,” the newspaper reported.

The article further described how Justine Tibesar later joined the travelers in France, and detailed some of their global adventures, including witnessing fascism in Italy, martial law in Germany, Quaist ceremonies in Romania, the opening of King Tut Ankh-Amen’s tomb, snow drifts in the Carpathian mountains, and travel through desert landscapes.

The newspaper described their travels alternating between highways with bridges and water buffaloes providing power, and bandit-infested trails. Olga recounted an experience in Africa where they once looked out of their tents and saw tiger tracks.

The article noted that their car, purchased in 1921 for $50, was destined for Henry Ford’s museum. It concluded by saying, “She has been going strong now for many years, getting places. And, as Captain Olga says, when she will not go ‘we push her.'”

Orlando Sentinel, April 11, 1930

By April 11, 1930, the WAWEC team was documented in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando Sentinel published an article titled “Globe Trotters Arrive in City,” describing “Young Europeans Visit Orlando On Tour.”

The article reported that “a group of four young globe trotters, all of them Europeans, and members of the Work Around the World Educational Club, arrived in Orlando Wednesday for a few days stay.”

This group had with them an antiquated “Flivver,” which had seen service through 43 countries and four continents of the world, and was destined for the Henry Ford museum at Dearborn, Michigan.

The article identified the four young people as Olga Van Driesk, captain of the unit, of Belgium; Miss Justine Tibesar of Luxembourg; P. Lauterlein of Denmark, and H.F.C. Welfare, of Germany.

It described the group as “one of a number touring the world under the emblem of the Work Around the World Educational Club, which will hold an international jamboree in Miami in December, 1931.” The article noted that the club was founded in 1919 by Capt. Walter Wanderwell, and that its purposes included the “study of foreign languages and customs and education of the members for ‘international good will and world citizenship.'”

Interestingly, the Orlando newspaper shows a different WAWEC team configuration than reported in other cities. Here, Justine is traveling with Olga Van Driesk along with two additional members: P. Lauterlein of Denmark and H.F.C. Welfare of Germany. This indicates that the team compositions were fluid during their American tour, with members potentially regrouping at different points.

However, by April 7, 1930, according to the Aloha Wanderwell book by Christian Fink-Jensen & Randolph Eustace-Walden, “Justine Tibesar and the members of WAWEC Unit No III were already well on their way to San Antonio, Texas,” while Olga apparently joined Aloha Wanderwell’s team heading north to Chicago.

San Antonio Express, May 24, 1930

By late May 1930, the team configuration had changed significantly. The San Antonio Express published a brief article on May 24, 1930, titled “World Circling Group Arrive in San Antonio.”

The article reported: “Four members of the Work Around the World Educational Club arrived in San Antonio from Houston Friday en route to the Pacific Coast. They will be here several days making a tour of the city and taking pictures before leaving for El Paso.”

The party was now in charge of Capt. Emil Hinterhauser of Vevey, Switzerland. Other members included: Miss Marjorie Kuinegal of LeHavre, France; Miss Justine Tibesar of Luxembourg, and Rudolph Fuller of Jacksonville, Fla.

The article mentioned that the party had left Jacksonville on March 19 (1930) in a car especially built for the trip. “A dark room has been built in the back of the car for the development of films taken along the road and of various scenic and industrial subjects,” it noted.

This marked a significant change in Justine’s travel companions, now journeying with Captain Emil Hinterhauser, Marjorie Kuinegal, and Rudolph Fuller. Their specially-equipped car with a built-in darkroom highlighted the educational purpose of the expedition, allowing them to document their journey through photography, developing films as they traveled.

El Paso Evening Post, June 19, 1930

By mid-June 1930, the WAWEC Unit 27 had dwindled to just Justine and Captain Hinterhauser. The El Paso Evening Post published an article on June 19, 1930, titled “World Tour Club Dwindles to Two.”

The article reported: “E. Hinterhauser left his home town, Vevet, Switzerland, last October (1929) at the head of a delegation of five members of the ‘Work Around the World Educational Club (WAWEC).’ He was in El Paso, Texas, Thursday, with one left, a Belgian maid, Miss Justine Tibesar. Hinterhauser said there was a French girl (presumably Marjorie Kuinegal) in the party, but romance struck her and she married an American youth (presumably Rudolph Fuller) who had joined them. The two left the party.”

The newspaper also noted Hinterhauser’s plans to “leave Thursday for San Francisco, where he will sail for Japan,” indicating the unit’s intention to continue their global documentation mission into Asia.

Despite these changes in team composition, Justine and Captain Hinterhauser remained committed to their global mission, planning to sail from San Francisco to Japan to continue their educational expedition.

Continuing The Global Journey

By mid-June 1930, the WAWEC Unit 27 had dwindled to just Justine and Captain Hinterhauser. Despite the changes in team composition, they remained committed to their global mission, planning to sail from San Francisco to Japan to continue their educational expedition.

This Pacific crossing would lead Justine to Asia, where less than a year later, she would make the momentous decision to purchase a motorcycle in Saigon and embark on her most famous adventure – the solo motorcycle journey from Vietnam to Belgium that would establish her place in history.

Legacy Of The American Tour

Justine’s experiences traveling across the American south with the Wanderwell Expedition provided valuable preparation for her later solo adventures. She gained practical knowledge about long-distance travel, developed adaptability in changing circumstances, and cultivated the independent spirit that would serve her well during her remarkable motorcycle journey. The American tour thus represents an important formative chapter in the story of this extraordinary adventurer.

Legacy And Historical Significance

The Wanderwell expeditions and WAWEC hold a unique place in the history of global exploration, representing an early form of democratized international travel that predated mass tourism.

The organization was significant for:

• Documenting cultures and environments that would be transformed by modernization
• Providing opportunities for international travel to people of modest means
• Creating a model of self-supporting exploration
• Employing women in prominent roles during an era of limited female mobility
• Promoting international understanding in the aftermath of World War I

For Justine Tibesar, WAWEC provided the crucial bridge between her early life in Europe and her later solo motorcycle journey across Asia and Europe. The skills, confidence, and global perspective she developed during her time with WAWEC Unit #27 prepared her for the extraordinary challenges she would face on her famous motorcycle journey from Saigon to Belgium.