Bargain Hunt’s Charles Hanson shared his excitement on Twitter (X) today, after discovering a diary dating back more than 100 years and detailing young men’s experiences of fighting in the war.
Describing the find as one of the “reasons why I love my job”, the 45-year-old auctioneer displayed a sepia-tinged photo from the diary for more than 54,000 followers.
“Today we uncovered a World War One diary. It notes the dreadful time in the trenches in WW1 but remarkably includes an unpublished image of young lads leaving England and going to war,” he exclaimed.
“We march on in life and ponder now and again in a poignant way.
“Reminds me of the song ‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag’, written the same year that this photo was taken,” he continued.
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“Makes you wonder how many of these men ever saw home or their loved ones again. As said by Matt Crowson our amazing Militaria head,” Charles mused.
Fans instantly had an emotional reaction to the snap, including one who believed he recognised the street as being from his own town, Newtownards in Northern Ireland.
“The Road is Crawfordsburn Road. The picture was taken from a railway bridge. The soldiers had trained in the Clandeboye estate before going to war,” he suggested, attaching a Google Maps image to demonstrate the similarity.
Although his claim has not been verified, it made for a fascinating topic of conversation for Twitter fans, and brought back nostalgic memories of receiving letters and pictures from loved ones in the wartime era.
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@DiannaWynne2 exclaimed: “Recently found letters from my father sent to my mother during World War 2, makes you count your blessings when you realise how much we have.”
@DarrenArdron3 also joined the conversation, murmuring: “My grandad lied about his age and at 16 joined the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and was sent to fight in the trenches.
“He saw many of his comrades blown up across no man’s land and was the only surviving member of his company – I’m lucky to be here.”
@trishhorlock chimed in: “I’ve got letters to and from my father and his brothers during the war. My father was in Egypt in the RASC. Fascinating!”
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Other fans merely marvelled at the image of the troops filing down a rural road as they prepared for war, with @kevin_amatt declaring: “It should be published!”
Charles is a chartered surveyor who originally cut his teeth in the world of auctioneering at Christie’s, before going on to secure a role on Bargain Hunt in 2002.
This isn’t the first time the antiques expert has shared an astonishing find with fans via his social media accounts.
One of his other recent discoveries was a box of Rowntree chocolates dating back to 1935, which he was offering up for sale after they’d been discovered under a woman’s bed – but they’re certainly not for consumption.
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