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QSA with Cape Colony, Transvaal & Wittebergen clasps officially named to- 86484, BMBR. R. SHUKER. R.F.A.
Richard Shuker was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire & enlisted in to the Royal Field Artillery at Woolwich on the 19th of September 1891 when 18 years old. He arrived in South Africa 7-11-1899 & was captured & taken prisoner of war at Lindley 3-7-1900. He returned home from the Boer War 6-9-1902 & was discharged from the army the following day. His service papers state that he received a wound to the nose, but not while on duty, on New Year’s Eve 1891. He is also entitled to a KSA medal.

The 38th Battery RFA, saw some fighting in Orange River Colony in April 1900, and near Lindley in July 1900. On 3rd July Major Oldfield and Lieutenant Belcher were killed and Captain Fitzgerald wounded. Two sections narrowly escaped capture. In Lord Roberts' telegram of 10th July 1900, referring to the taking of Bethlehem, he said, "Paget reports that but for the accurate practice by the 38th Battery RFA and the City Imperial Volunteer Battery under Major M'Micking the casualties would have been many more".[/i] The 38th went with Paget to the Transvaal, and a portion of the battery did good work at the taking of Erasmus' camp, September 1900, also at Rhenoster Kop, 29th November (see 1st West Riding Regiment), and elsewhere (Lord Roberts' dispatches of 10th October and 10th November 1900). Early in 1901 the battery was with Babington in the Western Transvaal, and afterwards a section was with the Kimberley column, and one section with Rawlinson in the South-West Transvaal. One section was in Cape Colony; and at Quaggafontein, near Aliwal North, when Kritzinger attacked the camp of the Lovat Scouts on 20th September 1901, the battery lost 7 killed and 5 wounded. Two guns of the battery were with Lord Methuen when he met his final disaster on 7th March 1902. After referring to the disgraceful stampede of the mounted men, Lord Kitchener said in his dispatch of 8th April: "The section of the 38th Battery was left unprotected, but the detachment gallantly continued to serve the guns until every man except Lieutenant Nesham was killed or wounded. This young officer, so Lord Methuen is informed, was then summoned to surrender, and on refusing to do so was also shot down". No unit has any greater cause for pride than this reference. Two men were mentioned by Lord Kitchener for removing the sights and breechblocks after the lieutenant had been shot.