Pte 20755 William Crank

• Age: 36
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

William Crank was born on 09th June 1883 in Liverpool and was baptised on 17th June 1883 at St Francis Xavier's Church, Liverpool. He was the son of William Crank and his wife Mary Ann (nee Doyle), who married in St Peter's Church, Liverpool on 29th October 1882. From the marriage record, his father William declares his father was a George Crank, a cabinet maker.

The 1891 Census shows William and his mother living at her parents address Vine Terrace, Everton, Liverpool. The head of the household is Ann Doyle a widow aged 53, born 1838 in Ireland and employed as a laundress. Also in the household are his mother Mary Ann aged 24, born 1867 in Liverpool employed as a charwoman, William aged 7, born 1884 is a scholar. Ann also has her daughter Ellen aged 33, born 1858 and employed as a general domestic servant and her son Patrick aged 31, born 1860 and he is a fruit porter. 

William attested on the 16th October 1914 at Liverpool and gave his age as 31 years and 120 days and his occupation as a labourer. He was five seven and a half inches tall, weighed 155lbs, chest 38", fresh complexion, grey eyes, brown hair and gave his religion as Roman Catholic. He gave his next of kin as his mother Mary Ann Crank of 168 Field Street, William Henry Street.

He originally served in the 11th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment (Pioneers) before transferring to the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment 

15.11.14: Aldershot, absent from Tattoo until 9.00am 20.11.14. Seven days confined to barracks.

06.1.15: Fareham, Overstaying his pass from Tattoo till 12 noon 13.1.15: Seven days confined to barracks.

14.2.15: Drunk. Three days confined to barracks.

19.5.15: He embarked for France with his battalion from Folkestone.

24.6.15: Appointed Acting Lance Corporal.

12.7.15: Appointed Lance Corporal.

21.8.15: Reverted to Pte for misconduct and fined 2/6 for being drunk.

01.12.15: Drunk and confined to barracks for three days.

19.9.16: Appointed paid Lance Corporal.

30.9.16: Elects to gain 2d per day extra pay with Pioneer Battalion. 

19.6.17: Deprived of stripe for being drunk and creating a disturbance.

He was serving in the 19^th Battalion (B Company), The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 20755 when he was killed in action on the 22^nd March 1918, aged 36 during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary gives an overview of the events of the 22nd March 1918 as follows:

22^nd  GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am. 

William's body was not recovered from the battlefield or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930. 

William is also commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 9 Left

Soldiers Effects to his mother Mary Ann and brothers James, Joseph and pension to Mary Ann. 

His mother died in the March quarter of 1934, aged 68. His father William died between 1881-1891 but no civil UK record can be found.

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