She was built by Smiths Dock Company, in South Bank-on-Tees, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 30 June 1941.

On 21 December 1941, she successfully released depth charges with the British sloop Deptford resulting in the sinking of the German submarine U-567 in the North Atlantic northeast of the Azores.

On 14 December 1942, Samphire assisted in the rescue of nine survivors from the British merchant ship Edencrag, which had been torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-443 west of Algiers.

Samphire was torpedoed and sunk on 30 January 1943 off Bougie, Algeria by the Italian submarine Platino.

Samphire was escorting convoy TE-14 which was taking part in the North African campaign.