HMS Verity's keel was laid on 17 May 1918 at the John Brown & Company Shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland.

[1] She was propelled by three Yarrow type water tube boilers powering Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines developing 27,000 shp driving two screws for a maximum designed speed of 34 knots.

[3] Commissioned into the Royal Navy on 17 September 1919, she was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla of the Atlantic Fleet with pennant number D63.

October saw her transferred to the 19th Destroyer Flotilla at Harwich for East Coast convoy defence until December.

She remained in the area after the evacuation as a convoy escort, and was attacked on 14 August by six Kriegsmarine trawlers and three E-boats.