He accompanied the squadron as it deployed to the Philippine Islands with its Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats, and in December 1939 received promotion to Seaman 1st class.

On 26 December 1941 at 23:00 six PBYs departed their advance base at Ambon in the Netherlands East Indies to attack Japanese shipping reported in Jolo harbor in the Sulu Archipelago.

"Very accurate" antiaircraft fire from shore emplacements greeted the PBYs as they arrived over the harbor, but it ceased when a group of Mitsubishi A6M2 Type 0 fighters appeared to intercept the attackers.

A duel ensued as the planes headed west and a projectile from one of the Zero's cannon holed the fuel tank, sending a stream of gasoline into the mechanic's compartment.

About noon on 27 December, Landers glanced behind at his injured shipmate but saw only an empty life jacket, Bangust had apparently slipped from it and drowned.

For his "courage and successful machine gunnery" and his "extraordinary heroism" during the action over Jolo, Bangust was awarded the Navy Cross, posthumously.

The ship was laid down on 11 February 1943 at Los Angeles, California, by the Western Pipe and Steel Company; launched on 6 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Stephen W. Gerber; and commissioned at her builder's yard on 30 October 1943.

Between 8 and 18 March, Bangust's embarked division commander served as senior officer present afloat (SOPA) at Tarawa, and the warship remained anchored there during that time.

Reaching Majuro on the morning of 24 March, the destroyer escort received a hunter-killer assignment from the Commander, Service Squadron (ServRon) 10.

The destroyer escort arrived on the scene of an earlier submarine attack and conducted anti-submarine warfare operations in the area until returning to Majuro on the 27th.

Poor visibility made identification difficult; but, as the range narrowed to 300 yards (270 m), Bangust's lookouts deemed the stranger as either a small surface craft or a submarine.

Just past midnight, Bangust gave the underwater challenge, which drew no response, and then launched four successive "hedgehog" barrages, the last of which triggered a series of six explosions.

Damage control parties immediately set about their task but only found a small leak in the forward engine room where a weld had been started.

Greiner, accompanied by the motor minesweepers YMS-282 and YMS-203 and the submarine chaser SC-1364 arrived on the scene and relieved Bangust of hunter-killer operations so that she could resume her voyage to Roi Namur, which she reached later the same day.

After serving on harbor entrance patrol off Roi on 13 June, Bangust joined Capps (DD-550) and Weaver to screen a convoy bound for Eniwetok.

Arriving in the fueling area established in the waters east of Saipan, Bangust covered the oilers as they carried out their vital logistics service to the fleet until 20 June.

Dropping anchor back at Eniwetok on 30 June, Bangust remained there until the 13th, when she joined Capps and Weaver in providing cover for the departure of Neosho (AO-48) and Lackawanna.

Underway for the Marianas again, this time in company with Whitman (DE-24), the destroyer escort rejoined TG 50.17 in the fueling area off Saipan on 2 August.

A sound contact on 3 August enlivened her tour with the logistics ships this time around, as she conducted hunter-killer operations in hopes of nabbing her second enemy submarine.

Underway again three days later, Bangust escorted three task units, again composed of oilers, to a fueling rendezvous with the warships of the U.S. 3rd Fleet, joining TG 38.3 on 26 September.

Bangust remained at Ulithi for the next several days, pulling several tours of local off-shore patrol duty before her departure on 12 November as escort for a fueling group bound for a rendezvous with the fleet.

Following this tour, Bangust plane-guarded for Nehenta Bay (CVE-74), before being detached to carry out other screening duties before she received orders to Ulithi on 22 November.

At sea on 10 December with TG 30.8, the destroyer escort turned back the same day, arriving at Ulithi on the 11th for repairs to her sound gear.

Detached along with Tomahawk (AO-88), Merrimack (AO-37) and Crowley (DE-303), the destroyer escort was ordered to proceed to the Western Carolines, dropping anchor in Ulithi lagoon on 25 January.

Joining TG 50.8 on 19 April, Bangust operated on antisubmarine screening station and carried out plane guard duties as required.

Convoying a task unit of oilers to the fueling rendezvous, Bangust remained at sea with these logistics ships until 7 June, when she was detached to return to Guam.

Arriving back at Apra Harbor on the 10th, the warship then underwent minor repairs and maintenance, replenished ammunition, and provisioned while her crew enjoyed a period of recreation.

Reporting to Commander, Western Sea Frontier, for two weeks maintenance and onward routing, Bangust departed the west coast on 6 November.

The destroyer escort reached the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 22 November 1945 and, after pre-inactivation overhaul, was decommissioned on 14 June 1946 at Green Cove Springs, Florida.