Royal Marine sells medals for £150k to help his children

Royal Marine John Thompson after receiving the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross from the Queen at Buckingham Palace

A Royal Marine recognised for his bravery in combat has sold his seven medals for £150,000 to "provide opportunities" for his children.

Sgt Maj John Thompson, 43, a single father-of-three from Devon, served in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The medals included a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) - an honour one level down from a Victoria Cross - for "selfless and courageous actions".

He said before the sale that his children "know their daddy is a hero".

Auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb had valued the medals at between £120,000 and £140,000, but they were sold for £150,000.

Sgt Maj Thompson said "the greatest thing for me is not the medals, it is that my children know their daddy is a hero"

Sgt Maj Thompson, known as Tommo and who lives in Barnstaple, said before the sale: "I'm a single parent of a six, eight and a 21-year-old and the money will enable me to provide the best opportunities for them as they grow up.

"Being a father is the most important role I've ever had, which I didn't fully appreciate when I was running around Iraq and Afghanistan, and I'm doing this for them.

"At the end of the day, the greatest thing for me is not the medals, it is that my children know their daddy is a hero."

Sgt Maj Thompson became a Royal Marines Commando in 1998.

In 2003, he received a Mentioned in Despatches medal for exceptional gallantry after he rescued colleagues in his Delta Company who had become surrounded by enemy forces at Al Yahudia, Iraq.

He was given the CGC after his company was ambushed by the Taliban in the Helmand province of Afghanistan in January 2007.

He opened fire on the enemy, making himself the focus of the shooting and his "selfless and courageous actions" led the company to win the encounter.