![]() A roller salvaged from the same Hyster was made into small, cone-shaped blade and easily cut steel drums. A small 60 HP motor salvaged from a Hyster supplied the power. They rigged a power-driven can opener to cut off both ends of the drum in less than two minutes. ![]() Not satisfied with slowly cutting off the ends and flattening empty oil drums for purposes their manufacturer never dreamed, Seabees improvised a way to streamline their reuse and repurposing. Nothing ever went to waste on Island X as Seabees reused millions of 55-gallon drums to make culverts, roofing shingles, bar-b-ques, breakwaters, hot water tubs to wash mess kits, and shore up docks to name a few. Elevated gas station built with a pontoon and palm tree trunks, WWII. Garbage incinerator made from 55-gallon drums on Okinawa by Seabees with the 81st NCB. The two items most often reused were the 55-gallon drum and pontoons. Repurposing excess materiel streamlined their work and added creature comforts to their lives on often remote islands across the Pacific. ![]() Nothing ever went to waste on Island X as Seabees used scrap metal, crates, Coca-Cola bottles, and thousands of other items to build and repair essential equipment and materiel. Using their infamous Seabee Ingenuity, they used materials on hand to make practically anything. The Seabees have a long history of creating need-based inventions with the 55-gallon drum.ĭuring WWII, Seabees deployed to remote Pacific islands to build advanced bases with limited supplies and materiel to complete construction projects. ![]() By Gina Nichols, Supervisory Archivist Seabees from the 71st Construction Battalion improvising a hydraulic barrel-end remover from a 55-gallon drum. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |