Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A scarce and emotive ‘Gulf War’ campaign group of three awarded to ITN Cameraman, Nigel Thomson [O.B.E.] - an award winning cameraman, who covered conflicts in Beirut, Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Northern Ireland, The Gulf and Yugoslavia. He survived being bombed by MIG fighter planes in Ethiopia, and was wounded on two separate occasions whilst on assignment - once by mortar fire in Yugoslavia, 1991, and the other also by mortar fire whilst filming an attack on Kabul Airport in 1992

Gulf 1990-91, 1 clasp, 16 Jan to 28 Feb 1991 (N Thomson ITN); Saudi Arabia, Kingdom, Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait 1991; Kuwait, Emirate, Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait 1991, 4th Grade, good very fine (3) £1,000-£1,400

Nigel Thomson was born in October 1955, read Applied Maths at Warwick University, and was married to the ITN Newscaster Carol Barnes. Thomson was ‘an award-winning ITN cameraman. He joined Independent Television News as a sound recordist in 1976 and became a cameraman in 1982. Since then he has covered numerous assignments all over the world, including conflicts in Beirut, Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Northern Ireland, The Gulf and Yugoslavia.

In 1982, while Thomson was covering the hostilities in Beirut, he was kidnapped with ITN reporter Des Hamill. Fortunately both were released unharmed. He has also been on two lengthy assignments to Ethiopia, working with reporter Peter Sharp. On both occasions they lived rough, trekking through the desert to cover the civil war - where they survived being bombed by MIG fighter planes - and the famine that occurred as a result of the war.

In 1984 Thomson won the Royal Television Society Cameraman of the Year Award for his coverage of the Brighton bombing and the riots in Belfast. His camerawork of the Belfast riots also won him the top News Award at that year’s International Television Festival of Monte Carlo.

In 1990-91 Thomson spent six months, with ITN reporter Paul Davies, covering the events leading up to the Gulf War - and the war itself. For the last three months they were on the front line with the Fourth Armoured Brigade, eventually pushing into liberated Kuwait with them. Both Thomson and Davies received Campaign Medals after the Gulf War.

At the end of 1991 Nigel Thomson - again accompanying Paul Davies - spent several weeks in Dubrovnik, covering the bloody civil war in Yugoslavia. They and the rest of their team were the only television crew to remain in the beleaguered city during the week-long onslaught by shells, missiles and snipers. Thomson was hit by shrapnel during the bombardment [a mortar bomb exploded outside the Hotel Europa in Sarajevo]. His camerawork - this time in Dubrovnik - was again recognised as being outstanding. The International Television Festival of Monte Carlo gave the Gold Nymph Award for 1991, the top prize in the News category, to “Dubrovnik - Diary of a Siege.”

The 1991 RTS Television Journalism Awards also judged Thomson’s work for that year to be of the highest quality by again presenting him with the Cameraman of the Year Award.

In 1992 Thomson travelled twice to Afghanistan, together with Sandy Gall and Paul Davies, to cover the battle for Kabul being fought between the Mujahideen and the Government forces. On his second trip he was injured by mortar fire whilst filming an attack on Kabul Airport.

In the 1993 New Year’s Honours List Nigel Thomson was awarded the O.B.E. for his frontline footage from war zones.’ (ITN Biographical details, provided in March 1993, refer).

Sold with press cuttings relating to recipient and his wife, including photographic images.