At the outbreak of hostilities in September 1939
Stork was still refitting; by November she had completed trials and was assigned to convoy escort duty in the
North Sea, on the east coast routes. In April 1940
Stork took part in the
Norwegian Campaign and at
Narvik came under air attack, assisting later in the rescue of survivors from the transport . In September 1940
Stork was damaged by air attack on an east coast convoy and spent the next six months in dock.
Stork completed repairs and trials in June 1941 and in August, under the command of Cdr
FJ "Johnnie" Walker, was assigned to lead the
36th Escort Group (36 EG), employed escorting convoys to and from
Gibraltar and the South Atlantic. In December 1941, while off Gibraltar,
Stork and
Samphire attacked
U-568, which was damaged and forced to return to base. Later that month
Stork and 36EG escorted
HG 76 from Gibraltar homeward, augmented by the new
escort carrier and other ships. During the journey five U-boats were sunk, four by ships of 36 EG, with
Stork taking part in the destruction of , and , which was depth-charged and rammed by
Stork.
Stork continued with 36 EG until mid-1942. On 14 April, while with
OG 82 Stork and the corvette sank . In June,
HG 84 came under attack by
Endrass group; Five ships were sunk, but Walker and 36EG were commended for their vigorous defence. During this action
Stork and
Gardenia attacked and damaged
U-132, forcing it to retire. In August Walker took command of 20th Escort Group, with
Stork as senior ship. 20EG designated as a support group, but after two trips (with ON 132 and SC 102) the group was disbanded to provide escorts for
Operation Torch. While escorting Torch convoy KMS 1 in the
Mediterranean Stork was torpedoed by off
Algeria on 12 November. She was towed to Gibraltar for temporary repairs and then taken to
Falmouth for further repairs. In June 1943, under new command,
Stork joined the 37th Escort Group and on 30 August 1943, while escorting SL 135, she and the corvette sank in the North Atlantic east of the Azores. In 1944 she was part of the 116th Escort Group supporting
Operation Neptune. In January 1945, with the war in Europe drawing to a conclusion,
Stork was docked for refitting at
Portsmouth prior to joining the
British Pacific Fleet, but the work was delayed and not completed before
the Japanese surrender, and the war's end.
Stork was put in reserve but in January 1946 was re-commissioned as the Senior Officer's ship in the
Fishery Protection Squadron where she served for two years before being put in reserve again. She was decommissioned and broken up in 1958. ==Battle honours==