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 convoy UR 96F to Reykjavik arriving on 5 November 1943

3 January 1944 SS Empire Housman, straggling from the Convoy ON-217, was again torpedoed by 'U-744' and foundered two days later. One crewmember 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

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.

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 convoy UR 156 to Reykjavik arriving on 10 March 1945

August 1945 towed the fighter direction ship Palomares from Massawa to Aden after she had suffered fire damage.

10 May 1947 Captain Rowland I Magill appointed Master

2 February 1948 Captain Reginald W D Gilbertson appointed as Master

15 July 1948 towed HMS Loyal from Malta to the breakers yard at Milford Haven arriving on the 31 July 1948

29 January 1949 entered harbour at Londonderry

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

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