Charles Kenneth's Story.
Keneth Imison, was the third son of Mr and Mrs Edwin Imison of "Heatherlea" Weston Road, Runcorn and was a married man aged 27, living with his wife whom he had maried prior to joining up, at Chester. They had a son who he never saw. He was born at Runcorn and had enlisted at Liverpool with his brother Geoffrey at the outbreak of the war. Kenneth was offered a commission as a Lieutenant in the regiment in January 1915, but turned it down.In the Runcorn News for 11th August 1916, it was reported that both Kenneth and Geoffrey had been injured, but no details were available regarding Kenneth, Geoffrey had been wounded in the head and body, and was in Whalley Hospital at Blackburn, where he was visisted by his parents.
His parents received news of his death via a telegram, firstly stating he had been seriously wounded, but then hours later they were informed he had died. It did not state what heis wounds were.
Kenneth was a well known and popular figure in the town, and was a member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, being educated at Liverpool College Upper School at Zurich in Switzerland and afterwards at Liverpool University, where he gained a BEng. In 1913 , he was appointed Assistant Engineer at Castner Kellner Works at Weston Point, where he had served as an apprentice.
He joined the "Pals" with his brother Geoffrey, and joined a machine gun section. He spoke French and German fluently, hence why he was offered a commission.
Two of his brothers accepted commissions, John Alwyn Imison in the Royal East Surrey Regiment who was awarded the Military Cross in 1917, when he was severely wounded and Geoffrey, in the Yorks and Lancaster Regiment.
Complied by Graeme Ainsworth and Percy Dunbavand