Her keel was laid down on February 15th and she was launched on July 22nd of that year. K and her new crew spent three very full and hectic weeks training together, every evolution that could be rehearsed was thrown at the ship both at sea and in harbour; submarine honing, gunnery shoots, anti-aircraft shoots, depth charge attacks etc, all had to be completed satisfactorily before she could be assigned to active duty.
Cdr W. Barker, RNR in command. On the 18th the escort was detached to cover the in-bound Convoy OS. The next convoy escort was at the start of April when elements of convoy WS. All eight Corvettes rendezvoused with Force 'F' on May 5th off the beachhead where the assault was to take place on the western side of the Ambre Peninsula in Courier Bay.
The objective was the naval base at Diego Suarez. No longer able to function as anti-submarine ships, the two Corvettes were employed unloading the larger troopships. This task was proceeding very slowly using landing craft so the Corvettes, although not ideal, were used for the transhipment of essential stores.
They arrived at Durban on the 28th. At the start of October, she provided local escort for convoy CM A Kilindini to Aden while on route to conduct further anti-submarine searches off the Seychelles. The search proved unsuccessful and was abandoned at on November 1st. She sailed again for Diego Suarez on the 21st, arriving there on the 24th to refuel and join with the south bound convoy MC. The convoy arrived Durban on the 31st December.
Barker as commanding officer. This time her charges came under attack; at The master, 75 crew members and ten gunners were picked up by the tug and landed at Mombasa. At Kilindini the convoy became convoy DKA.
