Sgt 15718 Charles Kenneth Imison

• Age: 27
• From: Runcorn, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• D.O.W Wednesday 9th August 1916
• Commemorated at: Abbeville Cc
  Panel Ref: VI.C.4

Charles Kenneth was born in 1889 the son of Edwin Imison and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Savage). His parents were married on 15th August 1882 at All Saints Church, Runcorn. Charles Kenneth was baptised on 03rd February 1889 also at All Saints Church, Runcorn.

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at Highfield House, Runcorn. Charles Kenneth is two years of age and lives with his parents and three siblings. His father, Edwin is a 36 year old pawnbroker born in Runcorn, whilst his mother, Mary E. is 33 years of age and was also born in Runcorn, as were their children; Kathleen M. aged 7, John A. aged 6, Christopher S. aged 4. Also declared are two servants Alice Capper and Hannah Mottershead.

By the time of the 1901 Census the family have moved to Heatherlea, Weston Road, Runcorn. Charles Kenneth is now 12 and lives with his parents and seven siblings. His father, Edwin, is shown as a 46 year old jeweller and Justice of the Peace whilst his mother Mary E. is 43 years of age. His siblings listed on the Census are; Kathleen M. aged 17, John A. 16, Christopher S. 14, Marjorie 8, Geoffrey H. 6 and Isabel E. 2. The family employ two servants; Alice Capper and Mary E. Bebington.

The 1911 Census again finds the family at Heatherlea, Weston Road, Runcorn. Charles Kenneth is now a 22 year old engineering student living with his parents and six siblings. His father, Edwin, is shown as 56 year old a pawn broker and his mother Mary Elizabeth is 53 years of age. They have been married for 28 years and have had seven children all of whom have survived. His siblings, in the household, are listed as; Kathleen Mary 27, John Alwyne a 26 year old schoolmaster, Christopher Savage a 24 year old research chemist, Marjorie 18, Geoffrey Hatton 16 and Isabel Elizabeth 12 are at school. The family employ one servant Sarah Hannah Shaw. 

Kenneth’s service record shows that he enlisted on 02nd September 1914 at St George's Hall in Liverpool, joining the 17th Battalion as Private 15718. He gave his age as 25 years and 245 days. He was  described as being 5’8 ¼” tall, weighed 178lbs and had a 40” chest.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He was appointed unpaid Lance Corporal on 28th May 1915

On 06th July 1915 he married Dorothy Blanche Moyle at the Parish Church, Prees. They had a son Charles Kenneth Halton Imison who was born on 20th April 1916. It is likely that Kenneth never got to see his son.

He embarked for France on the 07th November 1915

He was appointed paid Lance Corporal on 10th March 1916 and was appointed Acting Sergeant on 15th July 1916.

Charles Kenneth was offered a commission as a Lieutenant in the regiment in January 1915 but turned it down.

Charles was wounded in the attack at Guillemont on 30th July 1916:

17^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

The Bn was in support to 19 & 20 Bn K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20^th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17^th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17^th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions)  in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.      

His service record shows his parents were sent a telegram saying he had been seriously wounded but then a later one informed them he had died. There seems to have been a mix up about informing his wife with telegrams being sent to an old address. He was wounded on 30th July but the family only received notification on 09th August.

In the Runcorn News 11th August 1916 a report shows that both Kenneth and Geoffrey had been injured:

Sergt. Charles Kenneth imison and Lance-Corpl. Geoffrey Halton Imison, the sons of Mr. Edwin imision, Runcorn have both been wounded. The news came to hand in letters from comrades of these well known young men, but no details whatever have been received with regard to the extent of the injuries to Sergt. Imision. His brother is wounded in the head and body and is in the Whalley Hospital, Blackburn, where hios oparents saw him on Wednesday. Both enlisted in the 17th King's Liverpool Regiment of "Pals" at the outbreak of war and have been in France since October. Kenneth was an engineer at the Caster Kellner works and Geoffrey an articled clerk to Sir J. S. Harmood Banner.  
   
Service records for Kenneth state that he had a gun shot wound in his thigh.

He was a well known and popular figure in Runcorn and was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers. He was educated at Liverpool College Upper School at Zurich and afterwards at Liverpool University where he qualified with honours as a Bachelor of Engineering. In 1913 after qualifying he was appointed assistant engineer at the Castner-Kellner works, Weston Point, where he had previously served his apprenticeship. He went to France with the first draft of the “Pals” and was in charge of a machine gun section. He spoke French and German fluently, and his special abilities made him a valuable soldier.

He died of wounds at No.2 Stationary hospital on 09th August 1916, aged 27. 

An "état civil"(death cert) of Abbeville gives the address of his place of death (2 Sta. Hosp.), Route de Doullens, Faubourg du Bois (a hamlet of Abbeville)

He now rests at Abbeville Communal Cemetery where his headstone contains the epitaph:

"LIFE'S WORK WELL DONE. LIFE'S CROWN WELL WON.NOW COMES REST".

For much of the First World War, Abbeville was headquarters of the Commonwealth lines of communication and No.3 BRCS, No.5 and No.2 Stationary Hospitals were stationed there variously from October 1914 to January 1920. The communal cemetery was used for burials from November 1914 to September 1916, the earliest being made among the French military graves. The extension was begun in September 1916. During the early part of the Second World War, Abbeville was a major operational aerodrome, but the town fell to the Germans at the end of May 1940. On 4 June, an attempt was made by the 51st Division, in conjunction with the French, to break the German bridgehead, but without success. Towards the end of 1943, eight large ski shaped buildings appeared near Abbeville. These proved to be storage units for flying bomb components an they were heavily bombed by Commonwealth air forces. Abbeville was retaken on 4 September 1944 by Canadian and Polish units. Abbeville Communal Cemetery contains 774 Commonwealth burials of First World War and 30 from the Second. 

His death was reported in the Runcorn Weekly News on 18th August 1916

RUNCORN CASUALTIES

SERGEANT KENNETH IMISON DIES OF WOUNDS

On Friday, Mr and Mrs Edwin Imison of "Heatherlea," Runcorn, received information to the effect that their third son, Sergeant Kenneth Imison of the 1st Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, had died from wounds in a French military hospital. For about a week his parents and Mrs Kenneth Imison had undergone anxiety consequent upon a statement in a letter received from the front on Thursday. A wire was received saying that Sergeant Imison was seriously wounded, and this was followed within a few hours by the information of his death. Details as to how his wounds were received are not to hand, but the injuries were sustained on July 30th.

Sergeant Imison, who was very well-known and popular in the town, was 27 years of age. He was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and was educated at Liverpool College Upper School, at Zurich in Switzerland, and afterwards at Liverpool University, where he qualified with honours as a Bachelor of Engineering. In 1913, after qualifying, he was appointed assistant engineer at the Castner-Kellner Works, Weston Point, where he had previously served his apprenticeship. He joined the "Pals" in company with his brother, Lance Corporal Geoffrey Imison. Soon after the outbreak of the war, and had the opportunity of taking a commission, but preferred to serve as a private soldier, going to France with the first draft of the "Pals" in charge of a machine gun section. He spoke French and German fluently, and his special ability made him most a most valuable soldier. A young man of magnificent physique, he made a fine figure in khaki, and the news of his fate was received with regret throughout the town. Sergeant Imison married after joining the service and leaves a little son, who he has never seen.

Kenneth's death was also reported in the Liverpool Echo:

"A Civil Engineer": Sergeant C. K. Imison died in France on August 10 of wounds received in action on July 30. He was educated at the Liverpool College Upper School, and at Zurich. He took his degree of B.Eng. at the Honours School, Liverpool University, in 1913, afterwards joining the Castner, Kellner works at Runcorn as assistant engineer. He was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and joined the King's (Liverpool) Regiment in August, 1914, and went to France in November, 1915. His younger brother, Lance-corporal G. H. Imison, was also wounded on July 30, and is in the military hospital at Whalley. He is progressing satisfactorily.

His death was also referred to in a report in the Runcorn Guardian on 01st September 1916:

THE LATE SERGEANT KENNETH IMISON

REFERENCES AT THE TRIBUNAL

Before the commencement of business at the Runcorn tribunal on Monday, the chairman (Mr A. T. Smith) said that he would like to propose a vote of condolence with their respective friend, Mr Imison, in the loss he had sustained. They had had in Runcorn a large number of brave and honest young men who had voluntarily placed themselves in the post of danger, and one of them was Mr Imison's son. He was known to all and was as much respected as his father. Personally he had lost a friend and an able coadjutor by the death of Sgt Kenneth Imison. He had had great hopes of his future, and he felt they should not allow that, the first public opportunity, to pass without expressing publicly to Mr Imison their sincere grief with him in the loss they had sustained. Mr Bate, on behalf of the whole of the shopkeeping community in the town expressed sympathy with Mr Imison. It was difficult to find words to express their feelings. Mr Imison would have the consolation of knowing that his son died a noble death, facing the enemies of his country defending the homes of England, and doing what was considered to be the right. Lieutenant Linacre said that as representing the military authorities he would like to be associated with the vote. He only knew Sergeant Imison by sight, but he was well known in Runcorn. He died in a very noble cause, and his name would always be honoured in the town. Mr Imison briefly expressed his thanks for the vote of condolence.

His brother's wounds were also reported in the local press: 

LANCE CORPL. IMISON WOUNDED

Lance Corporal Imison, youngest son of Mr and Mrs E. Imison is in Whalley Hospital, Blackburn, suffering from shrapnel wounds in the left side. He is making good progress.

Information on a letter dated 06th August 1916 from brother James A.(3/5 East Surrey Regt) states Sgt Imison was with the Machine Gun Section 17/KLR, and his father was a J.P in Runcorn. 

Kenneth is commemorated on the  following Memorials:

Liverpool University

Liverpool College, Sefton Park

Runcorn War Memorial 

Two of Charles Kenneth’s brothers accepted commissions, John Alwyn Imison in the Royal East Surrey Regiment, he was severely wounded and received the Military Cross in 1917. Geoffrey Halton had joined the 17th Kings Liverpool with Charles Kenneth, but later served with the Yorks and Lancaster Regiment as a 2nd Lieutenant. Both of the brothers survived the war.

Soldiers Effects to father Edwin and brother Christoper. 

Personal items returned:- Disc, testament, watch and strap, silver cigarette case, 18ct gold ring, pouch, packet of letters, photos and cards. 

Probate was granted on 12th December 1916:

IMISON Charles Kenneth of Runcorn, Cheshire, sergeant Liverpool regiment died 10 August 1916 at Abbeville, France. Probate, London 12 December to Edwin Imison jeweller and Christopher Savage Imison research chemist. Effects £1068 7s 8d.  

Pension to his widow Dorothy Blanche and child Kenneth Halton. She was living at Northlands, Moughland Road, Halton, after his death.

His father Edwin Imison died 14th October 1918.

His wife Dorothy Blanche re-married in 1920 to Ronald Turner.

His mother Mary died 31st July 1932. 

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