Celeno was laid down 3 November 1942 as liberty ship SS Redfield Proctor, MCE hull 439, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No.

Skillful damage control and seamanship beached her safely on Lunga Point, and when the air attack had been fought off, Celeno was towed off for repairs at Port Purvis on Florida Island in the Solomons.

[4] Further repairs at Espiritu Santo and San Francisco fitted Celeno for action once more, and the ship returned to the South Pacific in January 1944 to continue her support of the Solomons campaign.

As the seizure of bases in the Admiralty Islands began, Celeno brought troops and cargo to Manus through the spring of 1944, and continued to operate throughout the Solomons, Bismarcks, and Marianas.

[4] In November 1945, Celeno sailed to Iwo Jima to embark troops for transportation to Saipan, where she picked up another group of men bound for the west coast.