The Silver War Badge (1916-1922) for ‘Services Rendered’, was originally intended as a token of recognition of service to be worn in public when wearing civilian dress to indicate that the recipient had "done his duty" and had been honourably discharged from the Service (for reasons of age or physical infirmity due to ill-health or wounds caused by war service.

First issued in 1916, and awarded retrospectively for service dating back to 1914, the badge had the added purpose of ensuring that men in civilian dress who had served were not mistaken for shirkers. Each recipient also received a Card of Authority to wear the badge and was required to carry and, if necessary, produce the card when wearing the badge. The badge and card of authority were inscribed with a number corresponding to a number in the War Badge Rolls and can be used to identify the individual to whom the badge was issued.

A full list of the conditions governing the issue and wearing of the badge was published in New Zealand papers in February 1918, and readers were advised that “Sufficient silver badges have just been received for issue to every discharged soldier at present in New Zealand, and their issue will commence from 1st March next.” [Evening Post, 22 February 1918, Page 8]

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 out 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