Clara Cherry trained at Auckland Hospital. She went overseas in 1915 with the NZEF and served in Egypt and England, including service on hospital ships and hospital trains. Sister Cherry was mentioned in dispatches in 1916 for gallant and distinguished service in the field. Post-war she worked as sister-in-charge of the children’s ward at Auckland Hospital, and subsequently worked for the Health Department in the area of medical services to schools.

Clara's letters to family in Gisborne were periodically published in the Poverty Bay Herald. Writing from Alexandria in January 1916 she described her work at the New Zealand General Hospital: "Personally speaking I have a ward of forty-three beds, and fifteen verandah beds, all surgical cases, mostly fractures. Captain Hay Groves, fracture specialist, London being in charge. I can only say that the hard work has been lessened by the extreme kindness and consideration of the officers I am working for. Men of every possible regiment have passed through my hand s during the past seven months, and our New Zealand boys are the greatest sports of all." Poverty Bay Herald, 24 February 1916, Page 3

A letter subsequently published in the nursing journal Kai Tiaki, "Sister Cherry writes from Alexandria No 21 Hospital, ... she had a tragic Christmas - seven secondary haemorrhages from femur cases between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. The first lot of haemorrhages they had were bad. One had to be amputated and he died. She was afraid to move off duty and each boy in his turn was terrified his leg would be the next." Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume IX, Issue 2, April 1916, Page 83