Private Walter Crane, who died on 2nd July 1916, is buried in Albert Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France (plot Sp Mem 3, close to the Great Cross). Albert is a town 28 kilometres north-east of Amiens. The Communal Cemetery is on the south-east side of Albert at the junction of the roads to Peronne (D938) and Bray sur Somme (D329); the extension is entirely enclosed by it.
Albert was held by French forces against the German advance on the Somme in September 1914. It passed into British hands in the summer of 1915. The first fighting in July 1916 (1st – 13th July) is known as the Battle of Albert and comprised the first two weeks of Anglo-French offensive operations in the Battle of the Somme. British attacks south of the road between Albert and Bapaume began on 2nd July. It was on this day that Private Crane lost his life. The British had suffered the loss of about 60,000 casualties the day before. Whilst this scale of loss was not repeated, the British still lost approximately another 25,000 men in the period 2nd-13th July.
The Extension was used by fighting units and Field Ambulances from August 1915 to November 1916.
There are now 862 First World War and 25 Second World War casualties commemorated on this site. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
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