USS Drum (SS-228) Restoration

Around the year 2000, Tom Bowser, a MM1 (SS) nuclear submarine veteran, was passing through the Mobile, Alabama area. He spotted the USS Drum on a billboard and decided to stop by. He was able to make a few more visits on through 2004 and got to know Lesley Waters, a Battleship Park maintenance employee who was doing her best to take care of the Drum any way she could. Lesley had already been working on the Drum for several years. In 2004, Tom's job changed to where he was driving through Mobile every other week so he would stop by on Mondays and Fridays to bring Lesley supplies and to help her. After Tom's wife passed away, he moved to the area and started working at Battleship Memorial Park in the gift shop just so he could help restore the Drum (when he wasn't in the gift shop). Finally able to retire, Tom spends 60 to 70 hours a week working with Lesley at restoring and maintaining the Drum as well as giving tours.

Below you will see photos of what Tom Bowser and Lesley Waters, along with other volunteer workers, have been doing with the USS Drum. If you want to help them, click on the "How to Help" link up top for more information.

Click on any photo to see the full-size version. Restoration progress is shown in reverse chronological order (newest updates at the top).

January 2010

Tom and Lesley created a new battle flag during this cold month.

November 2009

Here are photos from 11/6. The starboard bow is almost complete except for the #5 outer shutter door.

October 2009

Here's how the starboard bow looked at the end of October. Note the draft numbers 0, 1, and 2. Lesley cut those out of 1/8" steel plate with a torch. Nice work!

Update for 10/22, bow restoration still ongoing. Tom and Lesley are getting ready to fabricate shutter doors.

Update for 10/16, more bow restoration.

Bow restoration is ongoing. Tom said that they are having to replace almost all of the hull on the lower six feet of the starboard side and all of the structure inside for the lower ten feet as it's almost completely gone.

September 2009

Bow restoration is now fully underway. Tom and Lesley are having a hard time due to so much deterioration which is making it difficult in finding solid enough steel to weld to. They have started replacing the outer hull with ¼ inch steel plate in small sections to maintain the curves and strength.

August 2009

Port side restoration is now in the early stages. Bow restoration is also now in the early stages. Take a look at what was behind the #6 shutter door of the bow!

The starboard side of the stern has been painted. Cleaning, priming, and painting are underway of the starboard side now.

July 2009

The starboard side of the stern has been primed.

Stern restoration.

June 2009

Further progess with sandblasting/priming/painting. This is how the Drum looked for the 2009 USS Drum Reunion.

More restoration and priming/painting of the starboard side and bow.

May 2009

More stern restoration and priming/painting of the starboard side.

Stern restoration picks back up where it was left off in November, 2008.

Cleaned, primed, and painted the periscope shears. Below you see a before photo, a during photo, and an after photo.

February 2009

Restored table in the crew's mess.

January 2009

New bunks in aft torpedo room. Restoration of TBL radio transmitter. New mounting plate built for TBL radio transmitter with original rollers. Food order discovered from September of 1945, believed to be final load out before leaving Pearl Harbor for home after the war ended.