Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Charles Shakerley, DSO
1869-1915
Dress Busby, c. 1891
Shakerley
attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and was gazetted to
the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on November 29, 1890. He was advanced to
lieutenant in 1893. Shakerley obtained his captaincy in December of 1898
and served in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) with the Mounted
Infantry. Taking part in operations in Natal and the Orange River
Colony, along with the defense of Ladysmith, Shakerley was mentioned in
despatches and awarded the Queen’s medal with six clasps. He then served
in East Africa (1903-1904), again with the Mounted Infantry, taking
part in operations in Somaliland and the action at Jidballi. Shakerley
was mentioned in despatches four times in East Africa, severely wounded,
and awarded the Distinguished Service Order on September 7, 1904. He
was promoted to major with the 1st Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle
Corps on December 18, 1907. Shakerley arrived with his battalion at
Rouen, France, for service on the Western Front in August of 1914.
Whilst participating in an attack on the German trenches near La Bassee
on May 15, 1915, Shakerley was mortally wounded in the advance. He was
laid to rest in the Rue-Petillon Military Cemetery. Shakerley was
granted the rank of temporary lieutenant colonel in November of 1915 for
his sacrifice, with a date of rank of March 28, 1915.
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