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South Boston Army Base
South Boston Army Base
South Boston, Massachusetts
	Boston Army Base, reactivated World War I installation, Boston Port of Embarkation.
Type	Army port of embarkation
Site information
Controlled by	United States Army
Site history
Built	1918
In use	1918 — 1974

The South Boston Army Base, previously the Boston Quartermaster Terminal or Army Supply Base and in 1937 named the Boston Army Base, was a 58-acre United States Army annex located in South Boston. It was authorized in April 1918 and opened for operation in October 1918. The terminal was part of the Boston sub-port of the New York Port of Embarkation during World War I. During World War II, it was a component of the Boston Port of Embarkation. It ceased operation in 1974.

History

The Army Supply Base, also known as the Boston Quartermaster Terminal, was authorized 5 April 1918 to include piers, warehouses, rail yard and open storage at the foot of Summner Street fronting on the reserved channel and Dry Dock Avenue in South Boston. The installation was placed into operation 25 October 1918.^[1] During World War I the Army port facilities in Boston, including the terminal, were a sub-port of the New York Port of Embarkation.^[2]^[3] The facility was renamed Boston Army Base in 1937.^[1]

The Department of War purchased a large part of the Commonwealth Flats in 1920, and split up the land between the South Boston Naval Annex and the Boston Quartermaster Terminal.^[4] Rail service to the base was provided by Track 61.^[5]

In 1939, the USMS North Star departed from the South Boston Army Base as part of the 1939-1941 United States Antarctic Service Expedition. The expedition was commanded by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd who used North Star as his flagship. On board the North Star when she departed was the unique Antarctic Snow Cruiser which completed a 1,000 mile journey from Chicago to Boston under its own power.

World War II

During World War II, the base was used to warehouse and distribute military goods and supplies and coordinate troop shipments. Troops staged at Camp Myles Standish in Taunton.^[6] After the war, activity declined and many buildings and structures on the base fell into disrepair.

From 1942 until 1970 the South Boston Army Base was primarily used as a terminal for military ships transporting personnel and equipment to destinations in Europe.

From 1965 until 1982, the South Boston Army Base was the location of the Armed Forces Entrance and Examination Station (AFEES) serving eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was the site of anti-draft protests during the Vietnam War.

Closure

In 1974, the base was closed, and became part of the Boston Marine Industrial Park after the City of Boston purchased the land in the 1980s.^[4]

Present day

Today, the former base is home to the various companies which have moved in over the years. Sail Boston has also used the land to host ships when they are in port as well, including former base land at the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal.

References

^ ^a ^b World War I Group, Historical Division, Special Staff, U.S. Army (1931). Zone of the Interior: Territorial Departments Tactical Divisions Organized in 1918 Posts, Camps, and Stations (PDF). Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War. Vol. 3 pt. 2. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History, U.S. Army. p. 692. LCCN 31027280. Retrieved 13 September 2021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Clay, Steven E. (2011). U. S. Army Order Of Battle 1919–1941 (PDF). Volume 4. The Services: Quartermaster, Medical, Military Police, Signal Corps, Chemical Warfare, And Miscellaneous Organizations, 1919–41. Vol. 4. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 2126. ISBN 9780984190140. LCCN 2010022326. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
^ Huston, James A. (1966). The Sinews of War: Army Logistics 1775–1953. Army Historical Series. Washington, DC: Center Of Military History, United States Army. p. 347. ISBN 9780160899140. LCCN 66060015. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
^ ^a ^b "History of the Park". Boston Marine Industrial Park. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ "History of the Park". Boston Marine Industrial Park. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
^ Stanton, Shelby L. (1991). World War II Order of Battle. Galahad Books. p. 602. ISBN 0-88365-775-9.