Women awarded for 'hush-hush' code cracks

World War II code breaker Joyce Grace at age 20 in Paddington, Sydney, 1943. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA) (AAP)

Eight decades after secretly cracking codes in a Brisbane garage, three women have been recognised for their World War II service.

Coral Hinds, Joyce Grace and Ailsa Hale were among a group of women who played a critical but largely unrecognised role in the Allied victories in the Pacific, including the battle of Midway in June 1942.