I arrived in Boston and assumed command of the Northeast Sector on May 15, 1944. This Sector extended from the Canadian Border to include Hancock, New Jersey. In addition to any mobile troops that might be assigned to the Sector it included all Coast Artillery installations within the area.
While in command of the Sector I particularly concerned myself with training the Coast Artillery personnel to man the old 3" AA fixed guns and the new 40 mm. guns in the Harbor Defenses. In cooperation with the Navy Motor Boat Training Center in Narragansett Bay, a considerable number of Joint Exercises were conducted in a number of Harbor Defenses, in which Motor Torpedo Boats endeavored to enter the harbor by evading the defending radar and searchlight installations.
I was also particularly interested in emphasizing the training in the maintenance and operation of the submarine mine installations in the various Harbor Defenses, and, later, in the supervision of the raising and unloading of the mines (which, as I remember it, each contained a 2000 pound charge of TNT) and the shipment of the large amounts of TNT away for permanent storage. It was very gratifying that this work was completed without a casualty of any kind.
The Headquarters of the Northeast Sector was inactivated as of May 15, 1945, and after a leave of absence I was ordered to report to the Headquarters of the Army Ground Forces, at the War College in Washington.
During my service of about a year in Boston, through the courtesy of the Harvard Club, I lived at that Club. All the leading Clubs in Boston extended honorary membership to me and my relations with the people of Boston (including Governor Saltonstall) were most pleasant.
I recall one thing that was depressing. There had recently been constructed within the Sector several 16" Batteries of the most modern type. All the armament had been received. The War Department, however, directed that this armament, which was stored in the Batteries, be not mounted.
This marked the beginning of the end of the Coast Artillery , and the new 16" guns were later cut up and sold as junk.