When construction started in 1941 she was intended as a  refrigerated cargo ship for transporting lamb and mutton from New Zealand, but was requisitioned by the British Government during construction and completed and launched as an escort carrier, entering service in early 1944.
In 1941, the ship was designed to transport lamb and mutton from New Zealand using refrigeration methods. However, due to wartime needs, it was taken over by the British Government during construction and completed as an escort carrier before entering service in early 1944.