AMount Gambier woman has been reunited with a precious memento from her father’s war days after 80 years following a nationwide search.

James ‘Jim’ Allan’s dog tags were found by metal detectors on an unused military base in Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands and presented to his daughter Margaret Bilney.

The presentation took place recently at the Mount Gambier RSL with metal detector Peter McCulkin driving more than 2000km to present the beloved item.

Mr McCulkin was accompanied by Ian Pressley OAM who is a former Regimental Sergeant Major of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

The two men have returned a further six sets of dog tags to Victorian descendants.

Mrs Bilney said she was contacted by Trace Genealogy genealogist Linda Waters through the Mount Gambier Cycling Club.

“Somebody in Melbourne told them that I had married Ray Bilney and Ray has actually got a Wikipedia page because he is a cyclist,” she said.

“It came out of the blue.

“It was really interesting, but we found out stuff about dad that we did not know because he (Mr McCulkin) brought down all the records as well.

“I knew that my dad had smashed his hand in New Guinea and I thought that must have been when he pulled out of the army but he did not.

“He actually signed up within a month of war starting and then he was demobbed after he’d finished.

“If there is a lesson to be learnt from all of this … it’s about do not wait until they’re gone to figure out what your parents have been up to.

“I was very appreciative of the RSL doing what they did.”

Mr Allan served in the Middle East, New Guinea and Borneo as a carpenter and later an excavator driver for the Australian Army after sustaining a hand injury during service.

The dog tags will be passed down to Mrs Bilney’s second son Allan James Bilney.

Mount Gambier Community RSL president Bob Sandow said he was perplexed to receive an email from Mr McCulkin asking the organisation to set up a time to present the recovered item to Mrs Bilney.

“Firstly we could not understand how they could have unearthed seven sets of Australian WWII dog tags from a fire pit,” he said.

“Secondly why Peter and his mate ‘Elvis’ would drive 2000km to give the tags to a family unknown to them.”

Mr McCulkin said he had a personal connection with the dog tags.

“My dad’s battalion were based at Kairi, in total about 100,000 troops were based there from 1942-1945 on and off,” he said.

“In Jim’s case he came back from the Middle East, trained, and recuperated then off to New Guinea, came back to Australia from New Guinea, then sent off to Morotai.

“He left Kairi the same day my dad did with the 2/33 Battalion.

“Being an avid metal detectorist, we started to detect around the old camp sites and were lucky enough to access a private property where there were a whole heap of weapon pits.

“It is the least we can do, to hand back the tags.”

Mr Pressley said he knew straight away what the items were and over time built a relationship with the owners.

“A fateful day a few years ago we came across a significant fire pit and we came across seven sets of dog tags, six from Victoria and the local set also from Victoria,” he said.

“Last year at the Oakley RSL we were able to hand to four families the dog tags of their family members.

“About 36 attended the handover, it was quite emotional with lots of tears.”

Mr Sandow said while the mystery of why the tags were taken is still somewhat of a mystery Mr Pressley has a theory.

The men found a small Atropine bottle (for Malaria), a few coins, a mangled Rising Sun hat badge, belt buckle, ammunition and various brass items.

“My theory is they came back from New Guinea, their gear was all mouldy and muddy and they were re-issued,” he said.

“In other areas I have detected there is evidence there was a small stamping machine that was in use so the Quartermaster was responsible to issue/re-issue tags.

“In fact, one family we gave tags back to at Oakley last year actually had a sparkling brand-new set their dad brought back from the war.

“There is an instruction in the war diaries for the 2/9th Field Company telling the Sergeant Quartermaster to advise where all the burn pits will be.

“So far we have found three pits and at the moment are excavating a large one which is probably about 10 meters square, it has already yielded a 2/9th Field Company set of tags.”