Richard received his medical education at Trinity College, Dublin, qualifying M.B. in 1879 and F.R.C.S.I. in 1887. He joined the Medical Services as Surgeon Captain on 5th February 1881, then went on half pay on 16 November 1884. On 26th May 1885 he returned to full pay, and gained the rank of Major on 15th August 1893. He served in Egypt in 1898, then served in South Africa from 1899 to 1902, during which time he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on 5th February 1901. On 3rd August 1910 he was promoted again to the rank of Colonel. On completion of 4 years service Richard was placed on the half-pay list again, dated 3rd August 1914. However, due to the outbreak of war he was restored to the establishment immediately. He embarked for France on the 9th August 1914, with the headquarters of divisional formations, as Assistant Director for Medical services for the Fifth Division. On 21st August, the Division moved to Bavai. The 3rd Division began to evacuate their sick and wounded through the 5th Division, therefore considerable numbers of sick and wounded were reaching Bavai. Richard arranged for them to be taken over by the local Belgium Red Cross there, and he left one medical officer and four orderlies of the 13th Field Ambulance in medical charge. On the night on 23rd/24th he received information that 100 wounded lay at St Ghislain on the canal, and there was a train there without a locomotive. Richard arranged with the stationmaster at Dour to send up a locomotive and bring the wounded back to him. The train returned at 4.45p.m. on the 24th carrying two officers and forty-one other rank British and one German wounded. Some other wounded were them entrained, and Richard sent them all onto Amiens, with a medical officer and 2 R.A.M.C. orderlies in charge. On the 1st March 1915, Richard was promoted to the rank of Surgeon-General. He was also made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1915.