She spent most of her career with Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM, the "Royal Packet Navigation Company"), based in the Dutch East Indies.

In the Second World War she escaped the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies, and became part of the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA) command's permanent local fleet.

[12] On 20 March 1918 President Woodrow Wilson issued Proclamation 1436, authorising the seizure under angary of Dutch ships in US ports.

With four tankers and a cargo ship, 's Jacob sailed in Convoy MS4, which left Sydney on 31 January bound for the ABDA theatre of operations, taking the route south of Australia and up the west coast.

On 15 February, the day Singapore fell, and as HMAS Perth took over the escort, ports in Sumatra were falling and the tankers and other cargo ships were ordered to return to Fremantle.

's Jacob and Perth continued, and were later joined by the Dutch ships Swartenhondt and Karsik, but on the evening of 21 February, some 600 nautical miles (1,100 km) south of the Sunda Strait, they too were ordered to return to Fremantle.

The Commanding General, United States Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA) was ordered to buy or charter the ships for the SWPA's permanent local fleet.

On 26 March 1942, the Chief Quartermaster, USAFIA arranged interim charters pending final negotiations with the Dutch government-in-exile in London.

Final negotiations between the US War Shipping Administration (WSA) and the Dutch government resulted in their being placed under United States Army control through a complex charter arrangement in which the UK Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) chartered the KPM vessels and with WSA allocated them to SWPA with the stipulation they be under total control of the US Army.

On 5 September, the convoy was holding south of China Strait as Japanese naval forces were expected in Milne Bay that night.

's Jacob entering Milne Bay was considered an unnecessary risk, and the escorts were ordered to Port Moresby until the situation stabilized.

On 8 March 1943, as 's Jacob rounded Cape Nelson, nine high-flying Japanese bombers escorted by 12 fighters attacked her near Porlock Bay.

[21][22] Five men were killed in the sinking, including Private George Watson, who remained in the water and instead of trying to save himself, helped into liferafts those soldiers who could not swim.