Carl Jess
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Sir Carl Herman Jess CB
, CMG, CBE
, DSO
(16 February 1884 – 16 June 1948) was an Australian Army
officer who served in World War I
and World War II
.
, one of nine children of George Jess, a master German
painter. He was educated at Violet Street State School in Bendigo, where he was also a teacher from 1899 to 1906.
In 1899, Jess joined the First Victorian Volunteer Cadets, rising to the rank of sergeant. In February 1902, he enlisted in the 5th Battalion of the Victorian Infantry, again rising quickly through the enlisted ranks to lance corporal and then in 1903, lance sergeant and then sergeant in 1904. On 7 June 1906, he resigned from the militia and the Victorian Education Department in order to take up a position with the Instructional Staff of the permanent forces.
Jess was promoted to sergeant major on 1 January 1907. On 1 July 1909, he was commissioned as a full lieutenant. On 1 January 1911 he was sent to New South Wales
as brigade major of the 5th Infantry Brigade with the rank of temporary captain, the rank became permanent on 1 July 1912. While there, he studied the Diploma of Military Science at the University of Sydney
. He returned to Victoria as brigade major of the 15th Infantry Brigade. On 13 December 1911 he became staff officer in charge of administering the Universal Training scheme in Victoria. Then on 1 July 1914, he became Deputy Assistant Adjutants General of the 4th Military District (South Australia
).
, Jess was involved in the mobilisation of the Australian Military Force (AMF) in South Australia, and then of the preparation of the South Australian contingent, the 10th Infantry Battalion and the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He joined the First Australian Imperial Force
himself in Melbourne on 23 September 1914, having been selected for the post of staff captain with the 4th Infantry Brigade by Colonel Monash
.
Jess landed at Anzac Cove
on 25 April 1915 and served throughout the campaign. He became brigade major of the 2nd Brigade on 23 May 1915 with the rank of major, serving with distinction in the front line, most notably alongside Lieutenant Colonel Bennett in the attack on the German Officers' Trench on 7 August 1915. He was well known by Australian Diggers for his courage at Gallipoli and his cool head in the face of extraordinary circumstances. For his service at Gallipoli, he was Mentioned in Despatches and 1916 was awarded "The Order of The White Eagle" by the King of Serbia.
Jess returned to Egypt
on 7 January 1916. On 28 February 1916 he was given command of the 7th Battalion, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 12 March 1916. At Pozieres
in July 1916 he again distinguished himself as a front-line leader. He was gassed at Pozieres and refused to leave his post and for this he was twice Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) on 1 January 1917.
On 19 November 1916 Jess was appointed first commandant of the I Anzac Corps
School but on 27 November he was recalled to temporarily command 2nd Brigade. From 13 March 1917 to 8 September 1917, he was an instructor at the School for Commanding Officers at Aldershot
, England
, the first Australian officer to hold such an appointment.
On 8 September 1917, Jess was appointed the task of GSO2 at I Anzac Corps Headquarters. Then on 7 January 1918 he became GSO1 at 2nd Division Headquarters. On 20 January 1918, he transferred to the 3rd Division
Headquarters. Jess was promoted to major in the AMF on 1 January 1918, lieutenant colonel on 3 June 1918, colonel and temporary brigadier general on 7 October 1918, taking over the 10th Infantry Brigade. For his service on the Western Front
in the final year of war, he was again mentioned in despatches and appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1919 New Year's List.
Jess took over the AIF Training Depot at Codford
, England
in March 1919 and in July, he became Commandant of the AIF Administrative Headquarters in London
. Jess replaced Monash as Director General of Repatriation, and then Birdwood
as General Officer Commanding AIF, he finally completed the AIF's affairs overseas in January 1920. For this work, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
, and after the birth of his first son, Carl McGibbon Jess in 1921, he returned to Australia, receiving a civic welcome from his home town of Bendigo.
Jess became a staff officer with the 4th Division in May 1921.His second son, John David Jess (Member House of Representatives and Federal Member for Latrobe Victoria 1960–1972) was born in Melbourne in 1922.In 1925, he became Commandant of the 6th Military District (Tasmania
). He was promoted to full colonel in 1926 and became commandant of the 5th Military District (Western Australia
) in August 1927. He was promoted to brigadier in January 1929 and was aide de camp to the Governor General from 1931 to 1935. Jess was involved in organising the centennial celebrations in Western Australia and then in 1933 in Victoria. For this he was created a knight bachelor
in the 1935 New Year's List.
In December 1934, Jess was appointed Adjutant General, and became a member of the Military Board. He was promoted to the rank of major general in July 1935.
. When Blamey was appointed to command the 6th Division
in September 1939, Jess transferred from Adjutant General to this post.
Jess retained the post until March 1944. He became Director of Women's National Services (AWAS) in 1943 and organised the Australian Women's Land Army
. With a strength of over 3,000, this organisation employed women on jobs throughout Australia.
After leaving the Department of Labour and National Service in March 1944, Jess became involved in a survey and classification of Army records, compiling a report of the activities of the AMF from 1929 to 1939. His work was unfinished when he went on sick leave in July 1945. On 1 April 1946 he was placed on the retired list.He died at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne on 16 June 1948 and was cremated with full military honours.
Jess was also a prolific artist. Today Jess' water colours of 19th and 20th century Australian and British
military uniforms are in the Australian War Memorial
in Canberra
. His hand carved and painted models of military figures,originally exhibited and housed at the Royal Military College, Duntroon
were exhibited at the shrine in Melbourne and are now in private collections in Melbourne.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Sir Carl Herman Jess CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CMG, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(16 February 1884 – 16 June 1948) was an Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
officer who served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Early life and career
Carl Herman Jess was born on 16 February 1884 in the city of Bendigo, VictoriaBendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
, one of nine children of George Jess, a master German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
painter. He was educated at Violet Street State School in Bendigo, where he was also a teacher from 1899 to 1906.
In 1899, Jess joined the First Victorian Volunteer Cadets, rising to the rank of sergeant. In February 1902, he enlisted in the 5th Battalion of the Victorian Infantry, again rising quickly through the enlisted ranks to lance corporal and then in 1903, lance sergeant and then sergeant in 1904. On 7 June 1906, he resigned from the militia and the Victorian Education Department in order to take up a position with the Instructional Staff of the permanent forces.
Jess was promoted to sergeant major on 1 January 1907. On 1 July 1909, he was commissioned as a full lieutenant. On 1 January 1911 he was sent to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
as brigade major of the 5th Infantry Brigade with the rank of temporary captain, the rank became permanent on 1 July 1912. While there, he studied the Diploma of Military Science at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. He returned to Victoria as brigade major of the 15th Infantry Brigade. On 13 December 1911 he became staff officer in charge of administering the Universal Training scheme in Victoria. Then on 1 July 1914, he became Deputy Assistant Adjutants General of the 4th Military District (South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
).
World War I
On the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Jess was involved in the mobilisation of the Australian Military Force (AMF) in South Australia, and then of the preparation of the South Australian contingent, the 10th Infantry Battalion and the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He joined the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
himself in Melbourne on 23 September 1914, having been selected for the post of staff captain with the 4th Infantry Brigade by Colonel Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
.
Jess landed at Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC on April 25, 1915. The cove is a mere long, bounded by the headlands of Ari Burnu to the north and Little Ari Burnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south...
on 25 April 1915 and served throughout the campaign. He became brigade major of the 2nd Brigade on 23 May 1915 with the rank of major, serving with distinction in the front line, most notably alongside Lieutenant Colonel Bennett in the attack on the German Officers' Trench on 7 August 1915. He was well known by Australian Diggers for his courage at Gallipoli and his cool head in the face of extraordinary circumstances. For his service at Gallipoli, he was Mentioned in Despatches and 1916 was awarded "The Order of The White Eagle" by the King of Serbia.
Jess returned to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 7 January 1916. On 28 February 1916 he was given command of the 7th Battalion, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 12 March 1916. At Pozieres
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
in July 1916 he again distinguished himself as a front-line leader. He was gassed at Pozieres and refused to leave his post and for this he was twice Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) on 1 January 1917.
On 19 November 1916 Jess was appointed first commandant of the I Anzac Corps
I Anzac Corps
The I ANZAC Corps was a combined Australian and New Zealand army corps that served during World War I.It was formed in Egypt in February 1916 as part of the reorganisation and expansion of the Australian Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force following the evacuation of Gallipoli...
School but on 27 November he was recalled to temporarily command 2nd Brigade. From 13 March 1917 to 8 September 1917, he was an instructor at the School for Commanding Officers at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the first Australian officer to hold such an appointment.
On 8 September 1917, Jess was appointed the task of GSO2 at I Anzac Corps Headquarters. Then on 7 January 1918 he became GSO1 at 2nd Division Headquarters. On 20 January 1918, he transferred to the 3rd Division
Australian 3rd Division (World War I)
The 3rd Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. Existing during various periods between 1916 and 1991, it is considered the "longest serving Australian Army division". It was first formed during World War I, as an infantry division of the Australian Imperial Force and saw service...
Headquarters. Jess was promoted to major in the AMF on 1 January 1918, lieutenant colonel on 3 June 1918, colonel and temporary brigadier general on 7 October 1918, taking over the 10th Infantry Brigade. For his service on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in the final year of war, he was again mentioned in despatches and appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1919 New Year's List.
Jess took over the AIF Training Depot at Codford
Codford
Codford is a village and civil parish south of Salisbury Plain in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England at .-Location:The village is on the A36 road between Salisbury and Warminster...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in March 1919 and in July, he became Commandant of the AIF Administrative Headquarters in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Jess replaced Monash as Director General of Repatriation, and then Birdwood
William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood
Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, CIE, DSO was a First World War British general who is best known as the commander of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915.- Youth and early career :Birdwood was born...
as General Officer Commanding AIF, he finally completed the AIF's affairs overseas in January 1920. For this work, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Between the wars
On termination of his AIF appointment on 21 January 1920, Jess reverted to his permanent rank of lieutenant colonel.He attended the Staff College at CamberleyCamberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, and after the birth of his first son, Carl McGibbon Jess in 1921, he returned to Australia, receiving a civic welcome from his home town of Bendigo.
Jess became a staff officer with the 4th Division in May 1921.His second son, John David Jess (Member House of Representatives and Federal Member for Latrobe Victoria 1960–1972) was born in Melbourne in 1922.In 1925, he became Commandant of the 6th Military District (Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
). He was promoted to full colonel in 1926 and became commandant of the 5th Military District (Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
) in August 1927. He was promoted to brigadier in January 1929 and was aide de camp to the Governor General from 1931 to 1935. Jess was involved in organising the centennial celebrations in Western Australia and then in 1933 in Victoria. For this he was created a knight bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 1935 New Year's List.
In December 1934, Jess was appointed Adjutant General, and became a member of the Military Board. He was promoted to the rank of major general in July 1935.
World War II
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Jess was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in June 1939, and promoted to lieutenant general on 12 December 1939. As Adjutant General, Jess had been appointed chairman of the Department of Defence's Manpower Committee in September 1938 and was responsible for greatly increasing the size of the militia. he relinquished this post to Major General BlameyThomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
. When Blamey was appointed to command the 6th Division
Australian 6th Division
The 6th Division of the Australian Army was a unit in the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. It served in the North African campaign, the Greek campaign and the New Guinea campaign, including the crucial battles of the Kokoda Track, among others...
in September 1939, Jess transferred from Adjutant General to this post.
Jess retained the post until March 1944. He became Director of Women's National Services (AWAS) in 1943 and organised the Australian Women's Land Army
Australian Women's Land Army
The Australian Women's Land Army was an organisation created in World War II in Australia to combat rising labour shortages in the farming sector. The AWLA was formed on 27 July 1942 and was modelled on Women's Land Army in Great Britain. When Japan joined the Axis in 1941 male agricultural labour...
. With a strength of over 3,000, this organisation employed women on jobs throughout Australia.
After leaving the Department of Labour and National Service in March 1944, Jess became involved in a survey and classification of Army records, compiling a report of the activities of the AMF from 1929 to 1939. His work was unfinished when he went on sick leave in July 1945. On 1 April 1946 he was placed on the retired list.He died at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital in Melbourne on 16 June 1948 and was cremated with full military honours.
Jess was also a prolific artist. Today Jess' water colours of 19th and 20th century Australian and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military uniforms are in the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. His hand carved and painted models of military figures,originally exhibited and housed at the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
were exhibited at the shrine in Melbourne and are now in private collections in Melbourne.
External links
- Ross Mallett, Carl Jess, General Officers of the First AIF, adfa.edu.au
- C. D. Coulthard-Clark, 'Jess, Sir Carl Herman (1884 - 1948)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press, 1983, pp 485–487.