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Celebrating Britain’s first female firefighter

  • 11 minutes ago
  • 2 min read

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Mary Joy Langdon becoming Britain’s first female operational firefighter in peacetime history.


When, in 1976, Mary Joy Langdon decided she wanted to join her local fire station at Battle, she had no idea she was about to make history. It was a year of a severe drought that led Mary Joy to becoming a firefighter.

A special event

Her book, “A Journey of Service”, tells her story, and has just been launched at a special event on 20th April 2026 at the Bexhill Museum. Chief Fire Officer Mark Matthews said: “Mary Joy’s story as Britain’s first female firefighter is profoundly inspiring. it not only highlights the significant challenges she overcame during her career in the fire service but also demonstrates how she transformed each obstacle into a positive trailblazing achievement, leaving a lasting legacy for many female firefighters who followed in her footsteps.”

He added: “It is very generous of Mary Joy to donate all profits from the sale of books to our Fire Cadet programme. Young people from across Hastings, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Uckfield are benefiting from her kindness, enjoying the opportunities our programme offers.”


About the book

A Journey of Service is the inspiring memoir of Sister Mary Joy Langdon BEM, Britain’s first female operational firefighter in peacetime. In 1976, she challenged tradition and prejudice by joining the fire service at a time when frontline firefighting was exclusively male. Through vivid storytelling, Mary Joy recounts major incidents, rescues, and the courage required to serve in dangerous and demanding conditions. Beyond the fire service, her life took an extraordinary path into religious life and pioneering equestrian therapy. As the founder of the Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre, she dedicated decades to supporting children and young people—many with disabilities—through the healing power of horses.


 
 
 

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