Aconite was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company Ltd at Troon in Scotland, and was commissioned on 19 July 1941, under Lieutenant de vaisseau Jean Levasseur (fr).

Aconit took a very active part in the Battle of the Atlantic for two years, protecting convoys sailing from Newfoundland to the U.K. via Iceland.

In response the escort leader, Havant-class destroyer HMS Harvester, hunted U-444 by sweeping through the lumbering convoy.

From astern Aconit sighted U-444 as Harvester broke free and closed to make her own ramming attack.

Commander Tait ordered Aconit to rejoin convoy HX228 and with only the damaged starboard propeller shaft turning, Harvester limped behind at 9 knots (17 km/h).

As the officers and crew prepared to abandon ship in the middle of the intensely cold Atlantic, a second torpedo was fired.

Under major repairs from 1 September to 10 October 1943, her commander was replaced by Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Miller.

During the Normandy landings, she was attached to the 108th escort group, along with Free French ships Aventure, Escarmouche and Renoncule.

On 18 April, she undertook minor repairs, and returned to escorting convoys in May, until 5 June 1945, the official date for the end of naval operations in European waters.

Rebuilt as buoy boat (towing vessel) by Harland & Wolff, Belfast, she was delivered in November as Terje 11 to serve the whaling factory Balaena.

In August 1960 the Scottish company Christian Salvesen, with still five former Flower corvettes in service, purchased Terje 11 and renamed the whale catcher Southern Terrier .