Author Archives: gary

About gary

Gary Traynor is Administrator of the Militaria based website MEDALSGONEMISSING. The aim of this "NOT FOR PROFIT" website is to reunite families, with lost War Medals and other items of militaria which may have been awarded or issued to their ancestors. What Gary refers to as their "lost heritage". He has been actively involved in the preservation of Militaria and the researching of Military History for well over 29 years. During his travels, he has conducted numerous study trips to Gallipoli, The Western Front, Kokoda and many other major battle sites around the world. He was a member of the Australian Army Reserve (UNSWR & 4/3 RNSWR) and served for 23 years with the New South Wales Police Force. He was also priveleged to have served as a Volunteer Guide at the Australian War Memorial for a number of years. Gary now conducts tours of the Gallipoli Battlefields and the Kokoda Track in New Guinea. He leads the field in his knowledge of the beach head battlefields encompassing Buna, Gona & Sanananda. Medalsgonemissing is a website that will assist you in locating your family's lost war medals and other awards. If you have an ancestor who served in any of the British Commonwealth Armed Services at any time - and whose medals are lost/stolen or simply missing....then so long as the medals are out there - this site will help you to locate them. However the site also contains articles of interest in relation to Military History, War Memorials & Uniforms / kit. Please explore our website as there is sure to be something of interest to you.

U.S. Serviceman’s Dog Tag (126th Infantry or 163rd Infantry) Found At Sanananda Battlefield

An American Dog Tag, issued to a man who served in the United States Army (U.S. Army)  in New Guinea during World War 2  has been found at the battlefield near Sanananda village. Issued to an American G.I. in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Honour Roll - U.S. Stories, Military Medals, Missing Militaria - Now Found! | Comments Off

Constantine Vafiopulous (Con Vapp) & the Kokoda stone which bears his name – Con’s Rock

To gain an understanding of the men – who made up the First AIF during the Great War; one needs only to study the works of C.E.W. BEAN (Charles Edwin Woodrow BEAN).   Arguably, he is one of  Australia’s greatest historians.   … Continue reading →

Posted in Honour Roll - Australian Stories, Military Medals | 1 Comment

Australian Tunnelling Companies & the film BENEATH HILL 60 – Scriptwriter David ROACH

The Australian feature film BENEATH HILL 60 is a war movie set underneath the trenches of World War 1. Their never-before told Australian story is set in 1916 – where Queensland miner Oliver WOODWARD, under-trained and having never faced hostile … Continue reading →

Posted in Gallipoli, Honour Roll - Australian Stories, Military Medals | Tagged , | 5 Comments

A Long Way From Home – British War Medals Found in Australia

A casual glance through an Antique Store on the south coast of New South Wales (Australia) has revealed two medal sets which are a “Long Way From Home” !!! Whilst there is nothing unusual about the medals themselves, it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Honour Roll - British Stories, Military Medals | 1 Comment

Lost Medals of a Long Lost Cousin

  It has been said that the feeling of dispair, which follows the death of a loved one – may be compared to a stone which is thrown into a pond. As the stone hits the water, it sends out … Continue reading →

Posted in Honour Roll - Australian Stories, Military Medals | 1 Comment