Family is tracked down and reunited with missing World War I medals

The family of a World War I digger has been tracked down after lost medals belonging to the Australian who fought in Gallipoli were uncovered.

World War I researcher Sharon Jameson said since she spoke to A Current Affair in November about uncovering nearly 100 forgotten diggers, she's received a letter from a woman who came into possession of two lost medals.

"She says they belonged to her husband's father and she didn't know about them," Jameson told A Current Affair.

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"When he died, she found them in his stuff."

Jameson searched newspapers, war records, death notices and family trees to find out who they belonged to.

The painstaking search eventually led to a small flat at Nerang, on the Gold Coast, where 94-year-old Vivienne Hart lives.

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The medals belonged to Hart's uncle Private Raymond John Wakefield.

"I've brought something for you, from your uncle," Jameson said to Hart after tracking her down.

"The gold medal is engraved '1915' so it's over 100 years old."

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Private Wakefield and his comrades formed Quinn's Post, which was the key position to holding control of Gallipoli.

"He was in the 13th battalion and the 13th, 14th, 15th battalion," Hart said.

"(They) were the first Australians that went in and they copped it hard and it was tough going."

The medals are pieces of the past that will be cherished by Hart's daughter Susan and granddaughter Letia.

"I didn't know anything about him or that any of our relatives fought in Gallipoli," Letia said.

The medals are precious mementos that bring memories flooding back for Hart.

One medal is engraved "from your friends at Moree" and the other from the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society.

Private Wakefield lived until he was nearly 80, but the medals were hidden away for 50 years by someone completely unknown to the family.

Hart now hopes another family mystery will be solved after receiving the medals.

She's hoping her husband Henry Alan Hart's lost World War II medals, which went missing after ANZAC Day four years ago, will be found too.

"They're lost somewhere in Surfers Paradise," Hart said.

"NX27416 was his number."

"We don't know what happened to them, but we'd certainly welcome them back," Letia said.

But for now, Hart is happy to have a piece of her much loved uncle with her.

"It's a miracle. I would love him to be here to just see them, but he knows they've found their resting place," Hart said.