The second ship to be called HMS Vernon ended her career laid up in Chatham Dockyard as a floating coaling jetty.

In 1904, HMS Warrior joined the establishment as a floating workshop, power plant and wireless telegraphy school, renamed Vernon III.

[1] In September 1917, as part of the Signal School, a DCB Section was established to develop Radio Control for unmanned vessels from 'mother' aircraft.

[3] On 1 October 1923, Vernon was moved ashore and new departments were set up to cover aspects of maritime warfare, such as mining, torpedoes and electrical equipment.

Their Chief Scientist from the beginning (probably coming from off-shore research) was Professor Edward Philip Harrison FRSE, who remained in charge until 1937.

A number of officers working with Vernon were awarded Distinguished Service Orders for their successes in capturing new types of mine.

One exploded in a mining shed at Vernon on 6 August 1940, killing an officer and four ratings and seriously injuring a number of other personnel.

The merger resulted in the formation of the Torpedo and Anti-Submarine (TAS) Branch, which assumed responsibility for naval diving.

The establishment was also the home of the "Dunker" Helicopter and Fixed Wing Aircraft Escape Training, until a new facility was opened at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron).

Mine warfare training was moved to the School of Maritime Operations (SMOPS), now part of HMS Dryad, in November 1995.