page_title: 248th (Welwyn) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery
section_title: Origin
hierarchical_section_title: 248th (Welwyn) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery / Origin
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Gravur: &#34;Ubique Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt&#34; (&#34;Überall wohin Recht und Ruhm führen&#34;).
context_page_description: 248th (Welwyn) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery, was an air defence unit of Britain's Territorial Army. Formed just before World War II, it fought in the Battle of France and the Swansea Blitz, and later defended London and Cyprus. It continued serving in the post-war TA until 1955.
context_section_description: During the period of international tension in 1938, the TA was rapidly expanded, particularly for the Anti-Aircraft (AA) role. Much of this expansion was achieved by converting and/or expanding existing units. 343 (Watford) Field Battery was separated from 86th (East Anglian) (Herts Yeomanry) Field Brigade, Royal Artillery (partly descended from the old Hertfordshire Yeomanry cavalry) and converted into a complete new AA regiment, 79th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) AA Regiment, Royal Artillery. Regimental headquarters (RHQ) and two of the batteries (246 (1st Watford) and 247 (2nd Watford)) remained at Watford, while the third (248) was newly raised at Welwyn Garden City.>
  The Hertfordshire Territorial Association obtained a site from the Welwyn Garden City Estate Office at Lemsford Lane where a drill hall could be built and recruitment for the new battery began on 14 November 1938. Supported by the local newspaper, public meetings and letters to local employers, recruitment went well and by March 1939 was close to the establishment of 172. Captain F.D.E. Fremantle of the 86th Field Regiment was appointed officer commanding (OC) of 248 Bty with the rank of Major. Training had to be carried out on two QF 3.7-inch AA guns borrowed from a London AA battery.
caption: RA cap badge
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