Ethel Becher

Dame Ethel Hope Becher, (1867 – 10 May 1948) was a British nurse who served in the War Office as matron-in-chief of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps from 1910 to 1919.

Early life Ethel Hope Becher was born in 1867. Her father was Arthur W. Becher, a colonel in the Bengal Staff Corps. She attended private school and trained as a nurse at the London Hospital from 1893 to 1899 under Eva Luckes.

Career In 1899, she became a nursing sister and acting matron during the Second Boer War, and was awarded the Royal Red Cross for her work. Becher was one of a group of six nurses from The London Hospital who were specially selected by Eva Luckes and Sydney Holland at Princess Alexandra's request to go out and nurse diseased and injured troops in South Africa. She was promoted to matron-in-chief in 1910, succeeding Caroline Keer in the role, and was stationed at the War Office.

As matron-in-chief, she was responsible for the recruiting and administration of the entire nursing service, and oversaw nurses stationed in many regions, including Macedonia, Malta, Gibraltar, and France.

Ethel Becher died on 10 May 1948.