With funds gathered through a Naval Savings Campaign in 1942 known as Warship Week, the ship was adopted by the civil community of Ulster's County Down.

[3] The U-class were War Emergency Programme destroyers, intended for general duties, including use as anti-submarine escort, and were to be suitable for mass-production.

In April 1944 the destroyer would return to home waters and towards the end of the year would refit and have new radar and advanced warning systems installed.

[11] Ulster, while serving with the British Pacific Fleet, had a near miss by a Japanese kamikaze and a 500 lb bomb during Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa.

Ulster had her machinery spaces blown in and had to be lashed to the side of the Australian corvette HMAS "Kalgoorlie to prevent roll over to be taken to Leyte for temporary repairs, whence it sailed for Australia.

Two sailors died and one was seriously injured in the attack the Kaloorlie conveyed the bodies and their burial party out to the deepest entrance to Leyte Gulf where the funeral was conducted.

Nearly six months after the attack in October 1945 Ulster made it back to HM Dockyard, Chatham in England to undergo full repairs.

In 1966, whilst coming out of dry dock in Plymouth failure of her telegraphs meant Ulster having rung on full stern rammed the jetty.