David Sydney Crane

A Private with the 9th Battalion, David died on 16th of September 1916 at the age of 23. 

David was born at Lowestoft on 2 May 1893, a son of David and Caroline Crane. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 14 June 1893 and his family lived at 40 Tennyson Road. By 1901 his family were living at Burton's Lodge, Gisleham, and in 1911 they were living at White House Lodge, Gisleham, and David worked as a lad on the farm. Subsequently his parents would live at Homestead, Gisleham. 

David enlisted in the Army at Beccles. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 22341. In 1916 he was posted to the 9th battalion  in France. 

On 13 September 1916 the 9th Battalion were in trenches near Guinchy on the Somme. At 6.20 a.m. they attacked the German lines and were able to capture two lines of German trenches, however, the enemy artillery and machine-gun fire inflicted heavy casualties. The situation could not be cleared up and so, at 7.30 a.m. A Company made an attack on the German strongpoint known as The Quadrilateral, but they failed to reach their objective due to enemy machine-gun fire. By the end of the day two officers and 15 men had been killed and 10 officers and 185 men wounded. 

On 15 September the Battalion made an attack on the enemy trenches with a final objective between Lesbouchs and Morval. The Battalion were to advance at 7.50 a.m. There was heavy enemy artillery and machine-gun fire and half of C Company could not even leave the trench. The rest of the Battalion were held up by heavy machine-gun fire from The Quadrilateral. There were many casualties, including Lieutenant-Colonel Mack. During the day the Battalion lost four officers and 35 men killed, seven officers and 99 men wounded, and two officers and 93 men missing. 

The Army Register of Soldiers' Effects shows that David was killed in action between 13 and 16 September 1916. But the 9th Battalion war diary states that there were no casualties on 16 September.  

In 1930 David's body was discovered at map reference 57c.T.20.b.75.65. He was identified by his uniform shoulder titles and an identity disc. David was exhumed and reburied at Serre Road Cemetery No.2. 

David's brother Charles was killed in action in April 1917 while serving with the 7th Battalion Suffolk Regiment.