Introduction

The Jess Report was compiled by Lieutenant General Sir Carl Jess in the early stages of the Second World War. At this time the Army staff was hastily trying to create an Army capable of fighting a modern war after years of government neglect of Defence. Sir Carl saw his work as being not only an introduction for future historians of the period, but also as providing a background for future Army planning. While not suggesting them as 'lessons learned' the study does attempt to define the problems faced by Army leaders, from policy advice at Army Headquarters level down to the challenges of training the next generation of leaders in a financially constrained environment at formation level. The Army was then faced with the war it had been warning an uninterested Government about. The report is thus both a history of the Australian Army in the lean years from the Great Depression to the Second World War, and also a study of the effort required to mobilise for war in a country desperately unprepared.

Right: December 1916
LTCOL Carl Herman Jess, 7th Bn (L)
with LTCOL Clarence Wells Dider Daly, 6th Bn.
AWM E00077

Contents

Outline: Outline

Preface: Preface

Part I: Part I

Part II: (1) Part II (1) Part II (2)

Part III: Part III (1) Part III (2)

Part IV: Part IV

Part V: Part V