On 13 March, she arrived at Staten Island, New York – where she loaded cargo and embarked United States Army personnel for transportation to Britain travelling with Convoy CU-18.

She arrived at Swansea, Wales on 30 March and spent the next two months transporting cargo and personnel between various ports in the United Kingdom in preparation for the Normandy invasion.

On 6 June, she steamed from Plymouth across the English Channel and anchored in her preassigned position in Baie de la Seine, France.

After a three-day respite in Plymouth, the ship moved to Rosneath, Scotland to take on the cargo and personnel of two construction battalions.

On 5 July, the ship was ordered to sail as a part of Task Group 120.6, which was bound for the Mediterranean Sea to support the invasion of southern France.

The next day, after finishing the delivery of cargo, she received casualties on board and embarked 13 German prisoners of war before getting underway to return to Naples.

For the next two months, Achernar continued making trips from Naples and Oran to points along the southern coast of France.

At 1525, Achernar transferred her casualties to USS Solace and proceeded to anchor off Hagushi beach, where temporary repairs began.

On 4 August, Achernar left San Francisco to return to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived a week later and immediately began discharging her cargo.

Achernar then shuttled personnel and equipment between Japan, various other Pacific islands, and took part in "Magic Carpet" operations, returning veterans to the United States.

Achernar got underway again on 16 January 1946 and resumed operations between the west coast and various ports in the Far East and the Pacific.

After American forces had liberated the territory near Inchon and Seoul, elements of the 1st Marine Division and their equipment were loaded on board Achernar for landing on the east coast of Korea at Wonsan.

Following a short availability period, Achernar went to Port Hueneme, California on 18 January 1951 to onload cargo and personnel for transportation to the Aleutians.

After unloading at Amchitka, she visited Adak, Whittier, Alaska, and Kodiak Island to pick up cargo to be returned to Seattle.

Achernar held shakedown in the Caribbean and spent the remainder of her career conducting various training exercises in the Virginia capes operating area.