BBC Antiques Roadshow guest wipes away tears as father’s war medals fetch huge six-figure price tag
A guest on Antiques Roadshow broke down in tears after the incredible valuation for his war hero father’s medals were revealed.
This week’s instalment see’s the Roadshow travel to Pollok Park in Glasgow in a rerun of a beloved episode from two years ago.
Military expert Mark Smith was in awe as he stood before an incredible collection of Second World War memorabilia.
“As a medal collector, this is the ultimate moment,” he said, adding: “There is really only one medal every medal collector craves to have in their collection.”
That medal was the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military award for gallantry given only to a select distinguished few.
The guest who brought the medals revealed they were awarded to his father, Captain Naik Gian Singh – Naik being a term in the subcontinent for a non-commissioned officer.
Smith explained that when Queen Victoria instituted the award in 1856 she decreed it be made from bronze and not a precious metal as “it’s not about the medal, it’s about the deed behind the medal.”
Accordingly, the expert was reverence read out the citation for Captain Singh’s VC – which explained the act that won him the medal.
With reverence, Smith read about Captain Singh’s exploits while fighting for Britain in Burma (Myanmar) against the expansionist Japanese empire.
Singh was said to have single-handedly charged and wiped out multiple Japanese positions with his Tommy Gun and grenades to protect British tanks under fire, even while sustaining injuries.
After the battle, Captain Singh had no desire to take leave away from his men and requested permission to continue leading his section.
“I know these things happen in the heat of the moment but that takes some bravery to do that. To do that much in the battle and just keep going, even while injured, is incredible,” an amazed Smith enthused.
Even though Captain Singh’s story was incredibly heroic, the guest revealed his father rarely spoke of his service.
“I think he used to get emotional whenever he talked about it. Obviously, he lost a lot of his friends in that battle,” he explained.
When it came to value, Smith revealed just the VC would be worth an incredible £250,000.
The guest was blown away and speechless for a few moments as he began to wipe away tears while the surrounding crowd mumbled and gasped in astonishment.
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However, no price would convince the guest to sell his father’s medal.
“Even if it was worth £2 million, £10 million I wouldn’t part with it. No way!” he declared.
Thinking about what he and his family will do, the guest touchingly said: “The medals will be going straight to the bank and from there, the family will collectively decide if they go to a museum, where people can actually see and appreciate what my father did.”