Cpl 57607 Sidney Arthur Crane

• Age: 22
• From: Sheffield, Yorks
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Tuesday 31st July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Sidney Arthur Crane was born on 11th March, 1895 in Burngreave, Sheffield and was the only child of Edwin Crane and his wife Lizzie (nee Clarke) who married in the winter of 1893 in Sheffield.

At the time of the 1901 census the 6 year old Sidney was living with his parents at 127 Popple Street, Sheffield. Edwin was 30 years old and working as a grocers assistant, he had been born in Hulme, Manchester. Lizzie (recorded as Lucy) as 31 and had been born in Cambridge.

By 1911 the family had moved to 22 Wheldrake Road, Sheffield. Edwin is aged 40, now working as a Church of England caretaker, Lizzie is 41 years of age. They have been married 17 years and have had one child. Sidney is an accountants clerk.

Sidney was educated at Owler Lane Board School. He was a good musician and before the war, was for several years deputy organist at St Cuthbert’s, Sheffield and subsequently at the Wesleyan Reformed Chapel.

He enlisted in Sheffield and served originally as 124, West Riding Divisional Cyclist Company. He transferred to the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment on the 19th October 1915. He had been serving with the B.E.F in France and Flanders from 1st January, 1917 and was serving as Corporal No 57607 when he was killed in action on the 31st July 1917, aged 22, during the Third Battle of Ypres, better known as Passchendaele.

On this day, before Zero Hour, the 18th Battalion was part of 21st Brigade and was to form up for the attack from trenches from the area of Sanctuary Wood to Observatory Ridge but it was dark and continually falling rain gave very poor visibility. The departure of the 21st Brigade was delayed by heavy shelling.

The 18th King’s began to move forward in the rear of the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment who had been detailed as the left attacking battalion of the 21st Brigade.

No’s 1 and 3 Companies of the King’s led the way followed by No’s 2 and 4. In Sanctuary Wood there was considerable confusion, as a result No.2 and No.4 Companies became separated from the others, and were moved over to the left flank towards positions known as Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction in the direction of the 90th Brigade.

No.1 and 3 Companies were soon in action with the enemy, and were for a time, held up against an enemy strong point. They pushed forward with their right on a trench known as Jar Row and their left on the tramway south of Stirling Castle. Advance along Jar Row was held up by the Germans who put up a fierce resistance and the party was forced to withdraw.

Another group of men from No.1 and No.3 Companies led by 2nd Lieut. Graham were being held up by another strongpoint which was south of Stirling Castle, which was eventually stormed and taken. Not far away from this action, an attempt, by other men of No.1 and No.3 companies, was made to penetrate a broad belt of uncut wire, but this was covered by Machine-guns which killed almost every man attempting to pass through the two gaps that were discovered.

The situation was similar with No.2 and 4 Companies, who had attacked along the wrong axis. Their advance was met with fierce opposition, and once all the experienced officer’s had been killed or wounded, all cohesion was lost, although some men did reach and cross the Menin Road at Clapham Junction.

By that time, the situation had become extremely confused, and the whereabouts of all four companies being unknown to Battalion Headquarters, urgent attempts were made to discover their locations. Eventually by mid- afternoon, it was established that the bulk of the companies, although all mixed together, were dug in the vicinity of Stirling Castle and by mid evening, the Battalion Headquarters moved forward to meet them.

During its time in the line the 18th Battalion lost 7 officers and 76 men killed or died of wounds and 7 officers and 177 men were wounded. They were relieved on the 2nd August. 

Sidney's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

His record in De Ruvigny advises that he was buried at Zillebeke, but as shown above his body was, sadly, subsequently lost.  

He was mentioned in the Weekly Casualty List on 18th September 1917:

MISSING.

King's (Liverpool Regiment) - Crane, 57607, S. A.(Sheffield);

News from the Sheffield Independent on 18th April 1918 states:

Corporal Sidney Crane of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, reported missing on July 31st last year is now reported killed on that date. He was the only son of Mr Edwin Crane of Wheldrake Road, Pitsmoor, Sheffield, and for a number of years was employed by Messrs Sissons, Platt and Co, Chartered Accountants, Sheffield.

Sidney is also commemorated on the following Memorials:

St Cuthbert's Church,

Burngreave Cemetery

Sheffield Roll of Honour

His father died, aged 68, in the March quarter of 1939.

His mother Lizzie, dob 13th Oct 1869, a widow, appears on the 1939 register still at 22 Wheldrake Road. She died, aged 74, in the December quarter of 1943. 

We currently have no further information on Sidney Arthur Crane, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.