PROMOTING THE HISTORY AND ARCHIVES OF MT COMPASS
Jacobs, Len
Leonard Thomas L H Jacobs (Corporal)
As a child Leonard (aka Len) lived in McLaren Vale with his parents Sydney & Mary Jacobs (nee Anniss). Born in 1892, his father was to pass away when Len was just six years of age and his mother when he was sixteen. Len then lived with his grandmother Sarah Jacobs in Willunga.
From around the age of 17, for a period of three years, Len drove steam traction engines in Western Australia and cleared scrub in Victoria. He then returned to South Australia, with his address on correspondence given as Mt Compass. It is possible he was living with his aunt & uncle (Emma & Mel Jacobs) during this period, as they were also raising his orphaned sister, Cora. (Len’s service records show that while in the Army, he did set up an automatic payment to his uncle Mel Jacobs, which may have been his way of ensuring that he did not spend all his pay while overseas.)
One of the people Len is known to have worked for prior to enlisting, was a Mr W H Bruce of Cleland Gully Road (Section 230), where he drove a steam traction engine, ploughing 90 acres of land in a little over 3 weeks. This machine, which burnt logs to produce steam had been brought to Mt Compass as part of a community plan to clear scrubland for the settlers in this district. Len had been accepted as the Traction Engine driver by the government department overseeing this project.
In his service record, Len was described as single, 5’10’’ tall (1.78m) of dark complexion and with dark brown hair. His occupation was recorded as Engine Driver.
A keen Len enlisted one month after the outbreak of World War 1. He nominated his elder brother Sydney (living in Willunga) as his next of kin, and who himself was to enlist in the following year. Unfortunately, Sydney made the supreme sacrifice in 1916, killed in Egypt following a bomb blast. Sydney had nominated his uncle, Mel Jacobs of Mt Compass as his next of kin, who was then forwarded his medals and few remaining possessions.
One month after enlisting, Len embarked for overseas. He served at Gallipoli before heading for Egypt and then onto France and Belgium. After first being assigned to the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade as a Gunner he was transferred in May of 1916, to the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column as a Driver.
Len returned to Australia in 1918 after being promoted to the rank of Corporal, and was discharged in February the following year. He had served overseas for a total of 4 years and 93 days and was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
Following his return, he took up a fruit block at Waikerie, while also working on the roads until this fruit block could support him.
In 1921 Len married Lillian (Lily) Cottonville Wall and they raised three sons, David, Cyril and Kelvin.
In the same year that World War 2 broke out (1939), Leonard Jacobs passed away at the age of 47 and was buried in the Waikerie Cemetery. His wife Lily, who passed away in 1972 at the age of 74, was also buried there.
Their son Cyril enlisted in World War 2, serving in the navy before then returning to work on the Waikerie fruit block.
References: Cyril Jacobs, Linton Jacobs, Mt Compass Archive records, WW1 Service records, State Records- Mt Compass correspondence 1911-1916.
