[2] The academy instilled in young Fleischer a strong belief in that the first task of a military officer was to defend his country and that regulations were to be considered standing orders in critical situations.

He also stated that the best way of confronting such an attack was a combination of defending coastal outposts while the main forces mobilised in rear areas in the interior of the country.

[2] After the Winter War between Finland and Russia broke out in November 1939, the 6th Division was mobilised and Fleischer repeatedly took the initiative to encourage the Norwegian government to increase the country's military readiness in North Norway.

[9] At the time of the attack on 9 April 1940 Fleischer was at Vadsø in Finnmark as part of an inspection journey together with his chief of staff, Major Odd Lindbäck-Larsen.

[8][10] Due to the extreme weather Fleischer could not leave Vadsø either by Hurtigruten ship or naval aircraft, and had to stay overnight.

After discussing the situation with Gabrielsen, Fleischer managed to set off for Tromsø the next day, arriving there by M.F.11 naval aircraft after flying in terrible conditions.

Unfortunately for the Norwegians, following the German invasion of France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940, the Allied task force was withdrawn in early June.

[13] During his exile in the United Kingdom, General Fleischer quickly built up a Norwegian infantry brigade based in Dumfries, Scotland, from June 1940.

He also became controversial in factions of the cabinet due to his support of British commando raids on the Norwegian coast, even stating his willingness to personally participate in the attacks on the German occupying forces in Norway.

Among these were the Polish Virtuti Militari for bravery, the French Croix de Guerre, and appointment by the British as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

[3] Most likely because of a personal antagonism due to this fact, General Fleischer was bypassed when the exile government of prime minister Johan Nygaardsvold in 1942 decided to recreate the post of commander-in-chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Instead of Fleischer, the cabinet promoted Major Wilhelm von Tangen Hansteen, the young defence attaché in Helsinki, Finland directly to general and gave him the post.

The General concluded that the garrison was too small to defend anything more than the midsection of the island, leaving several landing beaches open to the Germans during the relatively calm summer months.

He was found by his adjutant Lieutenant Richard Brinck-Johnsen, who brought the urn with the General's ashes to London in a Liberator aircraft.

[14] Still disputed today, it is thought that one of the reasons for sending him to Canada was that he favoured a series of coastal raids against Norway to hamper German use of the occupied nation.