Dates: 1876 - 1996
HMS Vernon was a shore establishment or ’stone frigate’ of the Royal Navy. Vernon was established on 26 April 1876 as the Royal Navy’s Torpedo Branch and operated until 1 April 1996, when the various elements comprising the establishment were split up and moved to different commands.
The second ship to be called HMS Vernon ended her career laid up in Chatham Dockyard as a floating coaling jetty. In 1872 she was moved to become a tender to HMS Excellent for torpedo and mining training. In 1874 she was joined by HMS Vesuvius, an iron screw torpedo vessel. Vesuvius was attached as an Experimental Tender for the conduct of torpedo trials, and remained in the role until 1923.
On 26 April 1876 Vernon was joined by the former steam frigate HMS Ariadne and the lighter Florence Nightingale. These were then commissioned as HMS Vernon, and became the home of the Royal Navy’s Torpedo Branch, independent of HMS Excellent. Ariadne was used to provide accommodation. In January 1886 HMS Donegal replaced the original Vernon as a more spacious torpedo school ship. Donegal was renamed Vernon, the original Vernon was renamed Actaeon and took over as the practical workshop.
On 23 April 1895 the hulks were moved to Portchester Creek. Ariadne was replaced as an accommodation hulk by the old HMS Marlborough, which was renamed Vernon II and was connected by bridges to Actaeon and Vernon, jointly named Vernon I. In 1904 HMS Warrior joined the establishment as a floating workshop, power plant and wireless telegraphy school, renamed Vernon III. Meanwhile Actaeon was renamed Vernon IV. Also in 1904 Ariadne was detached and sent to Sheerness to be used to establish a new torpedo school. She was renamed Actaeon in 1905.
On the outbreak of the First World War Vernon was used to carry out torpedo trials and to train new recruits for the Navy. Extensive research and development was also carried to develop new anti-submarine devices, mines and ships’ electrics. 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. The names of the original hulks that made up the floating Vernon were used for buildings in the base.
In the Second World War, and following on from the increasing use of mines, Vernon took on responsibility for mine disposal and developing mine countermeasures. The staff were able to capture a number of enemy mines and develop successful countermeasures. A number of officers working with Vernon were awarded Distinguished Service Orders for their successes in capturing new types of mine. Some of these were the first Royal Naval decorations of the war.
The Germans began placing booby traps in some mines to counter attempts by Vernon’s staff to capture them. 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. To avoid a repetition of this, a nearby disused quarry, nick-named HMS Mirtle (short for Mine Investigation Range), was used for examining mines.
Portsmouth suffered heavy air raids during the war, with Vernon being hit several times. One bomb demolished Dido Building and killed 100 people. Subsequently, sections of Vernon were dispersed to quieter areas. On 3 May 1941 most departments of Vernon were moved to Roedean Girls’ School at Brighton, which was known as HMS Vernon(R), whilst other elements were relocated elsewhere on the south coast and further away.
On 1 October 1944 responsibility for naval diving passed from the Gunnery Branch, at HMS Excellent, to the Torpedo Branch, at Vernon. A new diving school known as Vernon(D) was established at Brixham on 27 October 1944, with administrative support in Dartmouth. The Brixham base was later joined by the Admiralty Experimental Diving Unit (AEDU) and the Deep Diving Tender HMS Tedworth. The unit remained at Brixham until 1 October 1945 when it returned to the main HMS Vernon at Portsmouth.
Forces Reunited Forum Posts involving HMS Vernon
" A couple spring to mind here. one was prior to a Royal Visit to HMS Vernon, the buffers party had to climb ladders to scrub the green algae that was on the trunks of the avenue of trees on the main drag!! The other was paint spraying 2 and 4 decks of the Hermes just before she was sold to the Indian Navy? "
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" Hi all, Looking forward to visiting a few of the pubs in Gosport(grew up there) and Portsmouth in October. Last saw the area in 1980. Am expecting a few changes. Noticed a new sky ’thing’ that overlooks the old railway station and it looks as if it is built on the area of which used ..."
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" Quoting: John Daley well worth trying oldships.com, some great old photos of Naval vessels. Has an A-Z index, also photos of old shore establishments, I spent time at the ranges down Pompey, but cant for the life of me remember the Shore base I was at, any ideas???? G’day John and ..."
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" We have been approached by Len Deighton’s biographer for assistance. He is trying to trace anyone who was there when Len Deighton was researching his 2nd spy story. We have contacted a few members who have included HMS Vernon in a career than straddles 1962, but there are no ..."
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" Hi I have just joined forcesreunited as I am hoping that someone out there will be able to help me. I am researching my family tree and I am trying to find out about my grandfather’s service record. I never met my grandfather but I know that he served on HMS Vernon for many years. When my ..."
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"I’m not quite sure if it was 73 or 74, but I remember being asked for volunteers to man the Southampton Reservists vessel H.M.S.Isis which we took for a weekend jolly down the River Sienne to the French town of Vernon and we ran out of cigarettes as the local tobacconists were on strike,and the Skipper was the only person onboard who had any so he became everybodys best mate."
