The real Band of Brothers! Family tree researcher discovers father and his EIGHT siblings all served in World War Two... and all of them survived



Bob Windsor, 68, found a Guinness World Record on the wall of the last remaining brother



Retired Mr Windsor had no idea of the nine siblings' amazing achievement

All the men survived the war, but drifted apart afterwards



The oldest son, George, had served in World War One and was too old to fight, but worked in munitions

Another son, Charles, had died in the First World War



The last brother, Alfred, worked in munitions joined the Home Guard

Two of their sisters helped with the war effort at home



In Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, four brothers fight in the Second World War – and only one comes out alive.

But there is a British family that can go not only one, but five better.

And in the case of the Windsor brothers, all nine lived to tell the tale.

What's more, one of the siblings also fought in the First World War, along with two older brothers.

Heroes: From left, (top row) Arthur, who was the father of researcher Bob, then Bill and Albert, (second row) Harry, Jim, Tom (third row) Dick, Sid and Wally



The record-breaking contribution by the Windsor family of North London to the battle against Hitler had been largely forgotten.

It was only rediscovered by 68-year-old Bob Windsor as he researched his family tree.

He knew that both his father Albert and an uncle Wally served in the war but a visit to the 90-year-old Wally revealed the true scale of the family's contribution.

He discovered how Albert – 41 when he enlisted – signed up at the same time as Jim, 37, Harry, 35, Bill, 33, Arthur, 31, Tom, 30, Dick, 27, Sid, 23 and Wally, 18.

Albert and three brothers served in the Army while four served in the RAF, with Dick serving in the Royal Navy. Mr Windsor made the discovery when he spotted a framed Guinness World Records' certificate on the wall of his Uncle Wally's home.

It acknowledged that Albert and eight younger brothers held the record for the most siblings to fight in the Second World War.

Special legacy: Bob Windsor with the Guinness World Records certificate that his father and eight brothers received for their war effort

Mr Windsor said: 'It makes me intensely proud. The fact is, this record is never going to be beaten. Big families are a thing of the past.

'It's a shame I never knew about the amazing story. My father and his brothers just grew apart over the years.

Inspiring: The award that 68-year-old Mr Windsor spotted on the living room wall after he tracked down the last surviving brother, 90-year-old Wally

'They never thought it was particularly exceptional that they had all fought in the war – they saw it as just doing their duty.

'They also never knew about the award. It was Wally's son who notified Guinness about the record.'

He said he feared the worst as he delved into the family's past and and into why his father and uncles had all drifted apart.

'I was expecting to find some dark tale of murder or scandal but instead made this wonderful discovery,' he said.

'Every time I think about it, it just hits me how much of an amazing story this really is.'

He said he had not managed to find out all the details of the brothers' war service, but added: 'I do know that Sid bumped into Wally while out in India.

'Apparently Sid tapped him on the shoulder and said “All right mate, remember me?”.' Mr Windsor's grandparents George and Martha had 13 sons and three daughters.

The three eldest boys – George, Charles and Albert – fought in the First World War. Charles was killed in action on May 17, 1917, during the Arras offensive in northern France and is buried there.

His loss did not stop the younger boys joining up in 1939 to fight in the next global conflict. The Windsors' stellar war effort was not restricted to the men at the front.

George and tenth child Alfred could not enlist, and were involved in munitions production. Another boy Edward, died aged just seven in 1922.

Bob, lives with his wife Meg, 66, in the village of Six Mile Bottom, Cambridgeshire.

Comrades in arms: Brothers (from left) Jim, Harry, Bill, Arthur, Tom and Alf before the family drifted apart

Super siblings: From left, (back row) Albert, Bill, Arthur, Harry, (front row) Dick, Jim holding his sister Violet, Tom, and Alf holding sister May

Through the ages: From left, (back row) Jim, Albert, Bill, Arthur, (front row) Alf, George and Tom