A family history

A life across oceans.

Follow Gisbertus Wilhelmus Paap, known in America as Bert, from Hilversum to the Pacific war and on to Los Gatos, one recorded port at a time.

Play the voyageOr begin reading ↓Jump to 7 December 1941Weltevreden · September 1943

The ports and dates come from public archive records, his personnel card and published ship histories. The lines between ports are drawn for the journey's sake: the records give ports, not courses.

Hilversum 1922 · California 1995

Another shore.

Eight ships, nineteen recorded places, and a long passage to a new home. He drove trucks, coached Little League and led Cub Scouts. The missing ports between the surviving records are still to be found.