Principal Matron Fletcher was based at Boulogne in France for most of the war period. According to reports written about her work and duties, she displayed great organising and administrative skills. According to the Matron in chief of the British Red Cross Society, Joint War Committee, Fletcher was responsible for all Red Cross personnel working in hospitals in France and Belgium. She would meet all personnel and allocate them to various work duties and arrange movement orders and passes for the Joint War Committee staff and also for all women workers passing through France to Italy, Malta and Egypt. It was noted that “Miss Fletcher has an extensive knowledge of people and things; she is an excellent organiser, very energetic, tactful, direct and broad-minded, loyal to those whom she serves and is respected by her fellow workers and subordinates.”

(MLMSS 1546, p. 41)

Nora Fletcher was born on 1 February 1880 at Coreen College in Woollahra, a private school, run by her father, J.W. Fletcher. She was educated at home by a governess and at the age of 20 decided to train as a nurse at the St Kilda Hospital, Woolloomooloo and then the Coast Hospital at Little Bay in Sydney (later the Prince Henry Hospital). She graduated in 1906 and spent the first few years of her career nursing private patients. In 1909 she left for England and nursed in London and Europe. Her work took her to the French Riviera, Italy and Cairo. Fletcher was in Europe when war was declared and decided to join the British Red Cross within a month of the declaration of hostilities, in September 1914.