Local MP among guests at ceremony to mark the lives of east end fire fighters.
A ceremony to mark the lives of two female fire fighters who died while on duty at the height of the blitz, took place recently at The Watch on the site of the former Millwall Firestation site, Tower Hamlets.
In 1938, Violet Pengelly, aged 19, and Joan Bartlett, 18, were among the first female members to enrol in the Auxiliary Fire Service. When war broke out, in 1939, they were based in a sub fire station, 35U located near the former firestation site.
On the night of 18 September 1940 the women along with 24 members of the ARP and ambulance service members died when the building they were sheltering in took a direct hit from a bomb.
This week Poplar and Canning Town MP, Jim Fitzpatrick, joined members of the Pengelly family, representatives from the London Fire Brigade, Swan Housing Group and the Island History Trust to commemorate the womens’ lives and name the affordable housing development in their memory.
The former fire station has been converted into homes for rent and shared ownership and key workers.
Swan Housing Group Development Director, Kevin Hartnett, said: ‘When we bought the former fire station we were aware that it was an historic site in terms of its appearance and its listed building status. But soon a completely different picture of its history began to emerge.
‘The role played by Violet and Joan deserves to be remembered and I’m proud that this development has been named in their memory.’