[2] Shoalhaven was originally ordered as part of an Australian shipbuilding program during World War II that would provide 22 River-class frigates for the RAN.

[2] While assigned to the Royal Navy's Far East Fleet in April of that year, the Admiralty identified Shoalhaven to relieve HMS Consort as guard ship to support Chinese nationalist diplomats in the port of Nanking.

[4] Shoalhaven would only be made available to sail up the Yangtze River for mercy missions in the event the nationalists fell to communist forces with no other means of evacuation.

This restriction forced the Admiralty to instead dispatch HMS Amethyst from Hong Kong to relieve Consort, with both British vessels subsequently attacked by the People's Liberation Army in what is now known as the Yangtze Incident.

Shoalhaven was committed to military action in support of South Korea on 29 June, again assigned to the British Far East Fleet commanded by Rear-Admiral William Andrewes.

[6] On 6 July, Shoalhaven joined the destroyer USS Collett off the west coast of Korea where she was performed blockade duties during a three day patrol.