Medals found in a Mount Gambier storage shed have been reunited with their owner’s family almost two decades after his death.

The three World War II medals, including a Pacific Star, were found by Mount Gambier man Chris Ind three weeks ago – starting a nationwide search for their rightful owners.

The medals belonged to Gerald Mitchell Crawford, who lived in Mount Gambier for about 15 years before his death in Adelaide in 2002.

It is not known how they ended up in the storage facility in Mount Gambier, where they remained until unearthed by Mr Ind.

Mr Ind took the medals to Mount Gambier RSL President Bob Sandow, who got in touch with a Canberra-based army lieutenant colonel who specialised in reuniting lost medals with their owners – and who had already returned 2560 lost medals.

That set off a chain of events which resulted in Rockingham man Fred Crawford receiving a Facebook message claiming that his father’s medals had been found – 2300km away.

Mr Crawford, a navy veteran himself, was blown away to learn the medals – which he had not seen for more than 50 years – had resurfaced.

“When the chap told me the medals had been found in a storage shed, straight away I said that would be in Mount Gambier,” Mr Crawford said.

“I thought wow, how the hell did he find me, I was really chuffed, I rang my kids straight away and let them know.”

Mr Crawford, 61, had previously had replicas made of his late father’s medals. “I remember him wearing them 50 years ago, they will be cherished here.

“I used to wear the replicas I had of dad’s along with my own, mine on my left and dad’s on my right.

“I’m looking forward to wearing his actual medals next Anzac Day.

“The last time I saw those medals would have been 50 years ago, we would go and watch the Anzac parade with dad and he would be wearing his medals. He signed my papers so I could join the navy at 17.”

Mr Sandow said he was thrilled the medals had been reunited with Mr Crawford’s family.

“I’m quite pleased to be able to help reunite the medals and I’m pleased that Chris Ind showed faith in me to do it.

“I would say to the public, if you have got medals that are not yours, bring them in and we will find the owner, if you go to an antique dealer can you buy them and we will refund you and we will return them to their next of kin.” Mr Sandow said the local RSL was working on reuniting another two sets of medals.