EIGHT brave brothers from High Wycombe who all signed up to fight during the First World War, miraculously returned home from the battle virtually unscathed - despite a number of close encounters.

With the youngest brother at just 14-years-old, and having to borrow an older sibling’s birth certificate to enlist, the Lord family certainly did their bit for the town and the country, with the King even writing to the family to thank them.

Jansen Lord, the son of Frank (the third brother) said it is remarkable and only down to sheer luck that they all lived to tell the tale.

He said: “It really is remarkable when you look back through the history of the war that they did all survive. I think it is absolute pure luck none of them were killed.

“One of them was wounded in the leg and one of the others was slightly gassed – which actually caused his death a long time afterwards – but other than this they were all healthy.

“They never really spoke of the war but one thing my father did tell me is that he had a very close call one day. He was in the trenches and was very close to another Wycombe man who was shot and blinded.”

The eldest brother, Sidney Lord, also had his own brush with death. As a member of the Royal Naval Air Service (now the Royal Air Force) he would be sent up in a balloon to see where the enemy were based.

Mr Lord, 92, said: “My uncle told me that as soon as he was in the air the enemy would start shooting at him and he would have to shout ‘for god’s sake pull me down’.

“I do not think people realised at the time what they were going off to fight for. But it is great to see the start of the war being commemorated like it is.”

Although many people from South Bucks were killed in the ‘war to end all wars’ the large family were amongst others to return.

The brothers soon settled back into Wycombe life, with Frank and two others opening the Lord Brothers furniture factory in the town.

Sadly, the family did suffer a bereavement during the war as the father, Sgt Arthur Lord passed away.

Although too old to fight in WWI he was the last person to receive a full military funeral and parade through the streets of the town.

After his death, it was revealed the family received a letter from King George V who stated he was “much gratified to hear of the manner in which the sons so readily responded to the Sovereign and their country.”