​The War Memorial in Gunnerside
 
The Memorial in the graveyard of The Wesleyan Chapel reads:
 
ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THE
MEN OF GUNNERSIDE AND DISTRICT
WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918
 
WILLIAM APPLETON
BARNARD CALVERT
JOSEPH DAYKIN
RALPH RUTTER
WOODWARD SUNTER
JAMES CARTER SPENSLEY
CHRISTOPHER W WHARTON
AT REST
 
ALSO IN MEMORY OF ERIC CHERRY AND THOMAS GEORGE RUTTER
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE
OF THEIR COUNTRY DURING WORLD WAR II 1939 - 1945
 
 
Those who Fell in WW1
 
APPLETON, William
Private, 1st/9th Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry, 151 Brigade, 50th Division.  Army no.7227
He died whilst on active service on Thursday 25 January 1917. He was 21.
He was the son of George and Margaret Appleton, Dyke Heads, Gunnerside.
He is buried in St Roch Communal Cemetery, Valenciennes.
 
CALVERT, Barnard
Private, 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, The Border Regiment. Army no. 26619.
He died from his wounds on Wednesday 21 February 1917 in the Casualty Clearing Station in Meaulte. He was 41.
He was the son of George and Fanny Calvert and the husband of Elizabeth Calvert.
He is buried in Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte.
 
DAYKIN, Joseph
Company Serjeant Major, 9th (Service) Battalion, The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment), 32 Brigade, 11th Division.  Army no 236161. He had also served as Private, Army no 457 with the Yorkshire Hussars Yeomanry (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own).
He was killed in action on Monday 4 November 1918 in the fighting during the crossing of the river, Aunelle. He was 36.
He was the son of Jonathon and Mary Daykin, West Hauxwell and the husband of Miriam Daykin.
He is buried in Sebourg British Cemetery.
 
RUTTER, Ralph
Sapper 50th Broad Gauge (Railway) Operating Company, Royal Engineers WR/267393. He had also served as Private, Army no 15193 with 43rd Broad Gauge Operating Company, The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment).
He died on active service on Tuesday 25 June 1918. He was 30.
He was the son of Cyprain Rutter, Winterings, Gunnerside.
He is buried in Aubigny Communal Cemetery Extension Inscription “At rest”
 
SUNTER, Woodward
Private, 17th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 88295. He had also served as
Army no 7053 Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment).
He died from his wounds on 21 September 1918 in the Casualty Clearing Station in Beaulencourt. He was 31.
He was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Sunter, Spring End, Gunnerside and the husband of Ruth Sunter, Gunnerside.
He is buried in Thilloy Road Cemetery, Beaulencourt.
 
SPENSLEY James Carter is the name on the memorial but I believe it should be:
SPENSLEY, James Richardson
Lieutenant, Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 8th Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment).
He died from his wounds on Wednesday 10 November 1915 in Germany whilst he was a Prisoner of War. He was 47.
He was the son of the Reverend William and Elizabeth A Spensley. He was a Congregationalist Minister and serving in the RAMC.
He is buried in Niederzwehren Cemetery, Kassel.
Additional information
James Spensley was the first manager of Genoa CFC in 1897 who won first Italian football championship title as player-manager. This was the first of six titles they won under his leadership.  In addition, he helped found the Scouting movement in Italy in 1910.
In WW1 he served as a Doctor in the Dardenelles and on the Western Front. He was injured
tending to the wounds of an enemy and then taken as a Prisoner of War.
His Probate record states that he lived in Genoa, Italy and that he died in Mainz, Germany which is possible because we do not know where he was being held but we do know that his body was probably exhumed after the war and moved to where he is now buried
 
WHARTON, Christopher Willis
Second Lieutenant, 3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 167 Brigade, 56th Division. 
He was killed in action on Friday 26 October 1917 in Belgium. His Probate record states that he died on or since 26 October 1917 in France or Belgium. He was 32.
He was the son of John and Ann Wharton, Melsonby, Darlington.
He is remembered on The Tyne Cot Memorial.
 
 
Those who Fell in WW2
 
CHERRY, Eric
There does not appear to be a suitable candidate.
 
RUTTER, Thomas George 
Sergeant, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, 357 Squadron, Royal Air Force. RAFVR no 1439922
He died on military service on Thursday 6 April 1944. He was 21.
He was the son of William and Margaret Rutter, Gunnerside
He is buried in Sai Wan Bay War Cemetery, Hong Kong.
Additional information
He was one of the crew of Liberator III X BZ952 based at RAF Digri, India which failed to arrive at its destination. Its task was to ferry petrol to Kunming in China to refuel another aircraft, BZ956.  The captain was briefed by the Americans at Chabua, an Indian Air Force base in India which was mainly used to supply The Chinese under Chiang Kai-Shek.
The aircraft was last seen by F/O Moreland in flight approx. 1600 hrs.
A report was received from Kunming that Chinese had identified a burnt out British bomber and that there were 8 dead in the wreck and no survivors. The Chinese buried the remains.