Obituaries Australia

Carl Jess, c1926

State Library of Victoria, H92.7

Lieut-General Sir Carl Jess, one of Australia's most distinguished soldiers, died in Heidelberg Military Hospital on Wednesday night. Born in Bendigo in 1884, Sir Carl was a school teacher for seven years until 1906, when he became a permanent soldier. He was in the Landing on Gallipoli as a staff captain and became one of the youngest brigadier-generals on any front. After the First World War he was director general of Repatriation and Demobilisation, and from 1932 he was Base Commandant successively in Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia. In 1939, just before the Second World War, Sir Carl had completed five years as Adjutant-General of the AMF, and from the outbreak of war until his retirement in 1946 he was chairman of the Defence Department's Manpower Committee. He leaves a wife, a son (John), and a daughter (Mrs Betty MacLachlan), all of Melbourne. His eldest son (Carl) was killed in action at Tobruk in 1941. Sir Carl Jess will be given a semi-military funeral today. After a service conducted by Chaplain-General A. Irving Davidson at 1.45pm, at the parlours of B. Matthews Pty Ltd, Toorak rd. South Yarra, the cortege will leave for the Springvale Crematorium.