Richard Saker was born on 8 November 1877 in Liverpool, England. He was the son of Edward 'Ted' Sloman Saker and Emily Mary Kate OBrien.  He was privately educated.  He served in the Boer War with the Rough Riders, a yeomanry regiment of the British Territorial Army.  Later he joined the Connaught Rangers, 4th Battalion.  By 1907 he had  risen to the rank of captain.  In 1908 he married Winifred (Winnie) Millicent Volt, a musical comedy artist.  They had one son.  In October 1913 Richard was granted leave for six months and the couple arrived in Sydney in late November 1913 aboard the Orsova.  He then appplied for and was granted an extra six months' leave and the pair travelled to New Zealand.  During their time in the colonies Winnie appeared in a number of shows such as 'Puss in Boots' and 'The Forty Thieves.  She was described as petite and 'liberally endowed with good looks.'  He was 6ft 4ins and 13 stone.  

While they were in New Zealand war was declared and Richard made a hasty departure in order to do his bit. However, 'he was suspected of being a German army officer, and was somewhat worried by the Police Department.  The New Zealand authorities tried to regard Saker as dangerous, and wreaked on the young patriot the inconvenient attention of an absurd policeman, until the matter was straightened out by an obliging, New Zealand colonel, who happened to know the captain well."

He arrived in Melbourne on 22 August 1914 aboard the Ulimaroa and reported to the Defence Department the same day.  He was given command of G Company of the 5th Battalion, AIF.  He embarked on the Orvieto on 21 October 1914, at the time listing his address as Verona, Clarendon Street (corner of Gipps Street), East Melbourne.  Winnie and their son embarked a day earlier on the Moldavia 1.  

The Orvieto was the first troop ship to leave Victoria meeting other ships from other states in Albany, Western Australia, and was the flagship for the fleet as it sailed to Egypt.  On 9 November and fifty miles from the Cocos Islands HMAT Sydney, which was part of the convoy, sank the German cruiser, Emden, and its crew were placed on board the Orvieto as prisoners.  When the convoy reached Port Said the prisoners were transferred to another ship.  

On arrival at Alexandria on 2 December the battalion travelled by train to Mena Camp just outside Cairo.  On 21 December Richard found out that the War Office in London was looking for him.  They had reported him missing when he failed to present himself at the outbreak of the war.  His unit ws based in Ireland and he was expected to report there.  He immediately sent an explanatory letter and all was forgiven. While still at Mena on 1 January 1915 Richard was promoted to major and on 2 April was formally seconded for service with the AIF.  The battalion left Mena Camp on 4 April bound for the Dardenelles.  Richard took part in the legendary Anzac landing on 25 April but the following day he was wounded twice and then killed as he lead his men forward out of the trenches.

He was buried at Brown's Dip South Cemetery, Gallipoli, about 500 yards south of Anzac Cove.  However the site proved unstable and prone to erosion and in 1923 all the bodies were exhumed and reburied at Lone Pine Cemetery, Anzac, 1 3/8 miles south east of Anzac Cover, Gallipoli.

Richard Saker's connection with East Melbourne was minimal.