She returned to active service in World War II as HMS Queen of Thanet (J30).

Built by William Hamilton & Company in Port Glasgow, Scotland, Melton was launched in March 1916 with the pennant number 898.

Regular excursions took her to Gravesend, Margate, Clacton and Dover as well as across the English Channel to Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk.

[2] In September 1939 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty for minesweeping duties once more and commissioned as HMS Queen of Thanet, pennant number J30.

Of that number, 2,000 were transferred from the ex-LNER steamer Prague, after the latter had been damaged by near misses from shells and dive bombers off Gravelines.