Guiding Star was a 7,248 GRT troopship that was built in 1939 as the Type C2 cargo ship Nightingale by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co, Newport News, Virginia, United States for Grace Lines Inc, New York.

In 1941, she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Egret.

In 1942, she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) and renamed Nightingale.

The United States Official Number 230064 and code letters WCDH were allocated.

[6] Empire Egret departed from New York on 20 April and arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada four days later.

She departed on 22 October for the Hampton Roads, Virginia, arriving the next day and the sailing to Norfolk, Virginia, from where she departed in a convoy bound for Liverpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom, arriving on 5 November.

[7] Empire Egret departed from Liverpool on 20 November bound for Newport, Monmouthshire, arriving two days later.

[7] Empire Egret was then transferred to the United States Maritime Commission and renamed Nightingale.

[1][14] On 30 April, Santa Isabel departed from Port Hueneme, California for Nouméa, New Caledonia with 1,750 troops on board.

[15] The ship continued in the Pacific including Okinawa until departing Los Angeles 13 February 1946 for European ports.

The ship returned to New York 26 March and in April 1946 was placed in the reserve fleet in the James River.