"Swan" served as an escort and patrol vessel during World War II and escorted many convoys, including the Pensacola Convoy, in Australian waters and the South-West Pacific. On 12 January "Swan" arrived at Ambon escorting "Bantam" with reinforcements and remained there until 18 January, engaging bombers during raids on 15–16 January. In late January 1942 the ship was assigned to the short lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command.