But an interest in the World War II medical corps has led to the discovery of a century's worth of outstanding but largely unrecognised female medics.

Associate Professor Neuhaus and University of Canberra academic Sharon Mascall-Dare's book, Not For Glory: A century of service by medical women to the Australian Army and its Allies, goes some way to shining a light on the army's female doctors, nurses and other medical corp workers who have served a country that has largely failed to realise the enormity of their contributions.

Chief of Army David Morrison – the face of the army's unflinching stance on sexism – launched the book at the Australian War Memorial on Thursday, acknowledging a lack of recognition given to decades of achievements.

Associate Professor Neuhaus, a Conspicuous Service Cross recipient who has served alongside several of the women covered in the book, said most people didn't realise the diversity of roles and accolades awarded to women since World War I.

"I think we've come an amazing long way. If you can demonstrate you can do the job, that's what it takes to be part of the team," she said.

"[But] most of our role models are men. Particularly within our corp, the role models are Simpson and his donkey, Weary Dunlop. They're such important figures but we've also got amazing women who have done extraordinary things as well and we don't know about them."

Brigadier Georgeina Whelan is one of many serving women to share their story in Not For Glory.

Among her deployments was the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Sumatra, where she served as commanding officer.

But confronting natural devastation and mass loss of life hasn't been her only challenge.

Brigadier Whelan's career is peppered with broken glass ceilings, not only as a woman but as a leader without a medical background.

"I was advised I would have a very good career up to the rank of major – if I was lucky I'd meet a nice young man and have a family," she said.

"I was lucky; I met a wonderful man and have four children. But it's hard work. That sense of accomplishment once you've not only broken the barrier but achieved some good outcomes as well keeps you going under the next challenge."

Retired captain Joanne Marks served as a radiographer in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, where almost half her medical corp colleagues were women.

But the impact on men and women back home was a lesser-known narrative, she said,

"When people think about soldiers deploying, they may think about women but they probably don't think about a mother or even a single mother, which I was at the time and throughout my whole career," she said.

Dr Mascall-Dare said it was important these stories were shared, particularly as part of the Anzac Century.

"The key thing I've discovered is a lot of cliche, a lot of repetition and a lack of diversity. One thing we're trying to do through is to put those alternative narratives out there."