Previous name: Earnest
Subsequent name: Nisos Rodos
Official Number: 169327
Class: ASSURANCE Class Tug
Pennant No: W143 / A209
Laid down: 24 March 1943
Builder: Cochrane, Selby
Launched: 3 July 1943
Into Service: 18 October 1943
Out of service:
Fate: Broken Up
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: There were originally 21 ships in this Class, 7 of which saw service as RFA’s. Of 700 t standard displacement and 1350 t full load displacement, they had a complement of 31 and a bollard pull of 13½ tons. In wartime they were armed with 1 x 3“ gun, 1 x 20mm AA gun and 2 x .303 machine guns
3 July 1943 launched by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby as Yard Nr 1270 named HMS EARNEST
September 1943 renamed HMS EARNER
2 November 1943 sailed Loch Ewe in unescorted convoy UR 96F to Reykjavik, Iceland arriving on 5 November 1943
31 December 1943 sailed with HMS ELM to assist ss Empire Housman which had been torpedoed and lost motive power with the intention to tow her to Iceland
3 January 1944 SS Empire Housman, straggling from the Convoy ON 217, at 60°30N 24°35W was again torpedoed by ‘U-744’ and foundered two days later. One crew member (2nd Mate – Lance Bambrough) was lost. The master, 37 crew members and seven gunners were picked up by the armed trawler HMS ELM and rescue tug HMS EARNER and they were landed at Reykjavik, Iceland
13 May 1944 sailed Reykjavik for the UK
7 June 1944 sailed the Clyde for Oban arriving on 9 June 1944
10 June 1944 sailed Oban with USS Donnell (DE56) in tow for Londonderry arriving the next day
USS Donnell (DE56)
4 October 1944 HMCS Chebogue while attacking a German submarine U1227 in the Atlantic was hit by one of the submarines torpedoes and damaged. Earner took the frigate in tow and safely delivered the ship to the Mumbles where she anchored. The frigate later dragged it’s anchor and ran aground on the Mumbles Head but was refloated and repaired.
HMCS Chebogue
2 November 1944 towed HMS WHITTAKER to Belfast after she had suffered structural damage due to the explosion of Hedge Hog bombs.
4 March 1945 sailed Loch Ewe in unescorted convoy UR156 to Reykjavik, Iceland arriving on 10 March 1945
August 1945 towed the fighter direction ship HMS PALOMARES from Massawa to Aden after she had suffered fire damage
HMS PALOMARES
8 December 1945 arrived Southampton from Portsmouth
24 June 1946 berthed at Montrose from Chatham
25 June 1946 sailed Montrose with a tow
6 July 1946 berthed in the River Tyne at Shields Engineering Company
10 July 1946 sailed the River Tyne for Chatham
15 July 1946 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north with tug Dexterous
20 July 1946 sailed Montrose with tug Dexterous for Invergordon with a tow
14 August 1946 arrived the River Tyne from Rosyth
22 August 1946 sailed the River Tyne for Rosyth
24 September 1946 sailed Montrose for Scapa Flow with a tow
10 October 1946 while towing three MFV’s from Peterhead to Dundee and in the Tay one mile east of the Abertay Lightship when MFV 1097 foundered. There was no crew onboard the MFV. A buoy was laid over the wreck
19 October 1946 arrived at the River Tay towing the former luxury yacht Atmah from Grangemouth
6 December 1946 sailed Montrose for Invergordon with a tow
22 January 1947 sailed Hartlepool with HMS SCARBOROUGH in tow
HMS SCARBOROUGH
4 May 1947 sailed the River Tyne for Hartlepool arriving later the same day
10 May 1947 Captain Rowland I Magill appointed Master and Mr D A Macbean appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
21 May 1947 arrived at the River Tyne from Hartlepool
4 July 1947 arrived at the River Wear from Devonport
8 October 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
20 October 1947 arrived Barrow from Plymouth
3 November 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
5 November 1947 arrived at Plymouth sailing later for Portsmouth for repairs
2 February 1948 Captain Reginald W D Gilbertson appointed as Master
19 March 1948 arrived at Rosyth from Falmouth together with RFA SAUCY
29 April 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
2 June 1948 Mr A Dobbie appointed as Chief Engineer Officer
15 July 1948 towed HMS LOYAL from Malta to the breakers yard at Milford Haven arriving on the 31 July 1948
29 July 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
10 September 1948 with RFA SAUCY sailed Plymouth with HMS ORION in tow to Scotland for trials
HMS ORION
27 October 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east towing a pontoon
29 January 1949 entered harbour at Londonderry
6 June 1949 arrived at Barry from Devonport
8 June 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a tow
1 July 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a tow
8 July 1949 arrived Plymouth with HMS ENARD BAY in tow from Cardiff
15 July 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
7 September 1949 sailed the River Tyne with HMS ALLINGTON CASTLE in tow
HMS ALLINGTON CASTLE
22 September 1949 arrived at the River Tyne from Plymouth
7 October 1949 sailed the River Tyne for Portland
29 October 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a vessel in tow
1 November 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a vessel in tow
14 November 1949 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a vessel in tow
26 January 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
21 April 1950 sailed from the River Tyne with HMS OBDURATE in tow
16 May 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west with a vessel in tow
19 May 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east
23 May 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east with a vessel in tow
12 June 1950 arrived at Portsmouth
16 June 1950 the Hampshire Telegraph reported that –
5 October 1950 sailed Harwich
10 October 1950 arrived at Portsmouth from Harwich with HMS NIZAM in tow
13 October 1950 sailed Plymouth with HMS LEAMINGTON in tow
14 October 1950 arrived at Portsmouth with HMS LEAMINGTON in tow
15 October 1950 sailed from Portsmouth with HMS LEAMINGTON in tow
21 October 1950 arrived at Harwich sailing later the same day
29 October 1950 berthed on the Pilot Tier, South Shields, River Tyne
4 January 1951 arrived on the River Tyne to tow HMS VIKING, a motor torpedo boat, which had been used by the 3rd Tyne Sea Scout Troop as a static traning ship as she was no longer required by the Sea Scouts
5 January 1951 berthed on the Pilot Tier, South Shields, River Tyne
21 March 1951 sailed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen with a boom defence ship in tow. Was forced to seek shelter in the Moray Firth due to bad weather
12 June 1951 passed the Lloyds Signal STation on Flamorough Head sailing south bound
9 July 1951 sailed the River Tyne for Harwich with HMS ZENITH in tow after the warship had completed a refit at Palmers, Hebburn on Tyne
12 February 1952 sailed Aberdeen with HMS BARCLIFF in tow for Portsmouth
8 July 1953 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound with a tow
15 February 1954 arrived at the River Tyne with HMS FRANKIN in tow from Harwich
18 March 1954 arrived on the River Tyne towing HMS HIND to join the Reserve Fleet in Northumberland Dock after being dehumidified
HMS HIND
27 October 1955 entered Chatham Dockyard from the River Medway
2 November 1955 sailed from Chatham Dockyard into the River Medway
11 December 1955 at Rosyth Dockyard Assistant Steward Joseph McGarry discharged dead – he died from natural causes
8 December 1959 attended the North Carr Light ship, off Fife Ness which had broken free from her moorings in very heavy weather. The light ship later managed to anchor. On 11 December 1959 the light ship was taken under tow by the Earner to Leith for repairs
North Carr Light Ship
29 April 1960 Boilerman Edward McBride badly injured in an accident on board at Rosyth. He was taken to Dunfermline and West Fife Hospital and then afterwards to Bangour Hospital for plastic surgery
June 1963 laid up at Rosyth
December 1964 on the Disposal List at Rosyth
8 December 1964 advertised for sale ‘as lying’ at HM Dockyard, Rosyth in The Times of this day
18 January 1965 purchased for £17,300 by Tsavliris (Salvage & Towage) Ltd, Piraeus and renamed NISOS RODOS, ON: 1751 on the Greek registry
1972 Broken up in Greece