Built by Hawthorn Leslie and launched in January 1917, Thruster joined the Harwich Force, serving as part of a flotilla that escorted the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of Ostend in June that year.

In April 1928, the ship took part in a high-speed demonstration for the King of Afghanistan, the Amanullah Khan, and, in January 1932, participated in the unsuccessful search for the crew of the submarine M2.

Thruster was one of twelve R-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in March 1916 as part of the Eighth War Construction Programme.

A total of 296 long tons (301 t) of oil was carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[2] Armament consisted of three single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the second and third funnels.

As the destroyer escorted the prizes back to Harwich, they were attacked by a torpedo launched by an unknown German submarine, but suffered no hits.

[13] Thruster was credited with the destruction of the submarine UB-54 by depth charges on 12 March with Retriever and Sturgeon off the east coast of Britain near the port of Skegness.

[15] After the Armistice of 11 November that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel in service needed to be reduced to save money.

[17][18] After being reduced to reserve crew on 6 February 1923, Thruster was recommissioned in Portsmouth as part of the Portland Anti-Submarine Flotilla on 26 May 1926.

[23] On 3 April, the four destroyers of the Portland Anti-Submarine Flotilla, including Thruster, undertook a display of speed and dexterity, using depth charges to create a spectacle, for Amanullah Khan, the King of Afghanistan, while he was on a state visit.

[29] Thruster was considered as part of the planned Royal Navy deployment in defence of traffic between Port Said and Alexandria on 19 October 1935 after the start of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War but withdrew before the outbreak of hostilities between Italy and the United Kingdom, which would not take place until 10 June 1940.