Carl Jess, the Bendigo-born State school educated son of a German emigrant painter, joined the army in 1899, and achieved promotion from the rank of lieutenant to brigadier-general in less than ten years. Jess went to Gallipoli as Staff Captain to Colonel John Monash, and later served as Brigade-Major to the 2nd Infantry Brigade. By 1916, Jess was commanding the 7th Battalion in France. He ended the war as commander of the 10th Infantry Brigade, and when Monash returned to Australia in 1919, Jess remained in London as head of the AIF.

Returning to Australia, he was in turn, State Commandant in Tasmania, Western Australia and Victoria. He was the organiser of the 1934 Victorian Centenary celebrations, for which he was subsequently knighted.

From 1934-1939, Jess served on the Military Board as Adjutant-General, in a period in which the Board was constantly frustrated by the unwillingness of Australian Govenments to prepare the Army for the coming war. Jess was involved in the public controversy regarding the publication of the articles by General Gordon Bennett, and bitterly opposed the importation of a British officer, General Squires, to head the Australian Army,

Throughout his long career, General Jess was admired and respected by officers and men who served with him, and was truly regarded as A SOLDIER'S SOLDIER.