Carl Jess 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 . Early life and career . Carl Herman Jess was born on 16 February 1884 in the city of Bendigo , Victoria , 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 ) . World War I . On the outbreak of World War I , 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 ) . 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 Camberley , 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 . 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 Blamey . 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 .