ANTIQUES Roadshow star Mark Smith fought back tears on the latest episode after it was revealed that he had a connection with one of the items brought in by a guest.
Things took an unexpected turn during a special valuation on Sunday night’s instalment of the beloved programme.
The Antiques Roadshow guest brought in a pair of boots which belonged to an RAF bomber pilot.
In an unusual twist, it was revealed that Mark’s father was a part of the pilot’s crew.
During the outing, the man explained he found a letter in the boots, which opened up a 20-year quest.
The guest revealed he was on the show because he wanted to uncover further details about the person in the letter, his family and what happened to him.
Upon seeing the items, Mark gave some insight into them and said: “My dad used to tell me stories of his 65 trips that he did out of this logbook.
“There is one entry which was always something very special to my dad.”
A segment from the book detailed the story of how a flight sergeant called Harry lost his life.
The expert then disclosed to the man that Harry was his father’s best friend, and they swapped jobs during a gun turret that was hit by over 1,000 bullets.
After taking in the information, the Antiques Roadshow guest remarked: “Had they not swapped places, you wouldn’t be here talking to me today.”
The boots brought in by the man belonged to pilot Johnny Ashford, who was flying the plane when Mark’s father’s life was saved.
Inside the boots was a significant letter, which Mark began to read: “Dear Lieutenant Ashford, I thank you for your letter concerning the death of my son Harry,” before breaking down and insisting: “I can’t do it, I can’t do it.”
Visibly moved by the message, Mark handed it on to the man, who continued reading the letter written by Harry’s mother as she emphasised his joy at being with his crew.
Mark responded: “Wow, my dad held his hand pretty much all the way back, and the doctor said, ‘He’s gone, son, he’s been gone for hours’, but my dad held his hand all the way.”
The guest also came with a photograph of Harry’s funeral, which Mark had never seen before.
Looking through the image, the expert pointed out his father in the background while also sharing his own image of the pilot crew three weeks before the tragic incident involving Harry, his father, and Johnny Ashford.
Speechless and overwhelmed, the guest said: “It makes me quite emotional,” to which Mark agreed, “Yes, I think that one got me as well.”
However, the surprises didn’t stop there as the man went on and reveal: “There is one last final surprise, Johnny was your dad’s pilot.
“So I believe these boots belong to you.”
The emotional expert took the boots and hugged the man as the audience applauded.
The expert said: “Thanks, mate, dad says thank you. Blimey. They are incredible to have something from my dad’s crew again, just incredible. I will treasure them forever. “
Elsewhere on Antiques Roadshow a guest was left shocked over the current value of a watch he hasn’t worn in 50 years.
The episode saw a male guest bring in a Submariner Rolex timepiece to be assessed by the team of experts.
The watch, purchased for only £174.50, was estimated to be worth £17,000 at auction by expert Richard Price.
The guest was left open-mouthed after hearing the current price the watch could fetch.
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
