Fort Matilda Submarine Mining Establishment (SME) was built within Fort Matilda during 1886. The pier to load the mines onto the minelayers was on the East side of the complex. At this time no plans or records of the layout of the SME have been located but the United Kingdom Hodographic Office Archive has a record of the Submarine mining at Greenock and Submarine mining at Broughty Ferry. 1887-188 under their reference MBE 7.
In the UK National Archives there are maps and plans showing the Proposed Barrack Block for Fishermen and Submarine Miners at Fort Matilda from 1904 (Reference WO 78/4177).
The first unit of Submarine Miners were a company of the 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Volunteers. In 1888 they became the Clyde Volunteer Division with a strength of three companies. By 1900 this had increased to four companies, with sixteen officers and two hundred and forty three other ranks.
In 1907 they were converted to Electrical Engineers.