[2] When the United Kingdom entered World War II in September 1939, Versatile deployed with the 11th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence duty in the Southwestern Approaches and North Atlantic Ocean, based at Plymouth.

On 3 February 1940, she joined the destroyers Broke and Winchelsea and the sloop Enchantress as they briefly escorted Convoy OG 17F during the first hours of its voyage from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar.

From 12 to 15 February 1940, Versatile joined Enchantress, the sloop Folkestone, the minesweeper Gossamer, and the submarine Otway as the escort for Convoy HG 18F during the final leg of its voyage from Gibraltar to Liverpool.

That evening, she was underway in the North Sea as an escort for the destroyer Hereward, upon which Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was embarked for passage to Breskens, when German aircraft attacked at 20:45 hours.

[2][12] After completing repairs in June 1940, Versatile was assigned to the 21st Destroyer Flotilla at Sheerness and began convoy duty in the English Channel and Southwestern Approaches.

[3][13] In July 1940, Versatile's duties expanded to include anti-invasion patrols as the threat of a German invasion of the United Kingdom grew.

On 30 September, she cooperated with a Royal Air Force Avro Anson aircraft in a search for a German submarine after the merchant ship Fort George reported sighting a periscope.

[12] From 3 to 5 October 1940, Versatile was part of the escort of Convoy WS 3A Slow during the portion of its voyage that took place in the Southwestern Approaches,[2] joining the destroyer Harvester in screening the passenger liner Highland Brigade.

She was in action along with the destroyer Berkeley and corvette Sheldrake with German motor torpedo boats – S-boats, known to the Allies as "E-boats" – in the North Sea off Lowestoft on 6 March 1941 while escorting Convoy FN 26.

She reported on 14 March 1941 that the merchant ship Hereport had struck a mine and sunk, and she rescued 11 survivors and took them to Sheerness; that evening, a German S boat attacked her unsuccessfully.

She continued in this role until April 1944, when she was selected for service in Force J in support of the upcoming Allied invasion of Normandy, scheduled for early June 1944.

On 8 June 1944, she arrived at Portland to begin the daily escort of the EPL 2 series of tank landing ship convoys between the United Kingdom and the invasion beaches.

[2] Released from operations related to the invasion in July 1944, Versatile returned to convoy defence and patrol duties, conducting them in the English Channel and Southwestern Approaches until the surrender of Germany in early May 1945.