HMS Flax, a modified Flower-class corvette, was laid down on 28 February 1942 at Kingston, Ontario, Canada, by War Supplies Ltd., for the Royal Navy.

Launched on 15 June 1942 it was reallocated to the United States under the so-called "Reverse Lend-Lease" program and renamed and redesignated Brisk (PG-89) on 14 August 1942.

Then, after three days of anti-submarine warfare training out of New London, she reached New York City on 10 March.

Soon thereafter, Brisk commenced escorting convoys between New York and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a prosaic but highly important duty that kept her employed through V-E Day in the spring of 1945.

Transferred to the War Shipping Administration on 18 October 1946 for disposal, she was operated in mercantile service into the mid-1950s, initially retaining her name Brisk.