 On 3 September 1939 "Aberdeen" was recalled to the UK and deployed with the 1st Escort Division of Western Approaches Command for convoy escort duty in the English Channel and the Southwest Approaches, based at Plymouth.On the 7th January 1940 she arrived at Gibraltar in company of HMS Wanderer, as escorts to convoy (OG-13F) 23 ships.In May 1940 her pennant number was changed from L97 to U97.