 The ship was ordered on 23 January 1943 from Smiths Dock Company, South Bank, Middlesbrough, as the "Loch Eil".The ship was laid down on 7 August 1944, but the contract was then changed, and the ship was completed to a revised design as a Bay-class anti-aircraft frigate, and launched on 15 May 1945 as "Herne Bay" (K611).Work on the ship was suspended on 26 September 1945, and she was towed to Chatham Dockyard.