Limbourne was one of seven Type III Hunt-class destroyers ordered for the Royal Navy on 4 July 1940, as part of the 1940 War Emergency Programme.

[3] The Hunt class was meant to fill the Royal Navy's need for a large number of small destroyer-type vessels capable of both convoy escort and operations with the fleet.

[1][10] Following the completion of these repairs, Limbourne was deployed on escort and anti-submarine patrol duties in the Western Approaches and the Bay of Biscay, together with operations against German convoys in the English Channel.

[1][10] On the night of 3/4 October 1943, Limbourne, together with Talybont, Wensleydale and the destroyers Grenville and Ulster, was on patrol off the coast of Brittany when they encountered five German torpedo boats (T22, T23, T25, T26 and T27).

[10][11][12] On 23 October Limbourne was sailing with the light cruiser HMS Charybdis and five other destroyers, when they were engaged by a number of large German Type 39 torpedo boats.