British Corporal was a 6,972 GRT tanker that was built in 1922 by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow, Northumberland, United Kingdom.

She was transferred to the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Corporal.

[3] She was employed on routes between the United Kingdom and the Middle East, as shown by her occasional mentions in The Times in connection with one of her crew being stabbed to death in Port Said, Egypt, in October 1928,[5] and a report of her having trouble with her condenser at Port Said in February 1932.

[8] At 05:15 on 6 August 1937, British Corporal was attacked by three Spanish Nationalist aircraft when she was 30 nautical miles (56 km) west of Algiers, Algeria (36°53′N 2°52′E / 36.883°N 2.867°E / 36.883; 2.867),[9] whilst on a voyage from Abadan, Iran, to the United Kingdom with a cargo of petrol.

Rear-Admiral Wells, of the Third Cruiser Squadron, raised the issue with naval authorities at Palma, Majorca,[13] who admitted that their aircraft had been involved.

[15] This information was passed back to London,[14] which ordered British Ambassador to Spain Sir Henry Chilton to raise the issue at the Nationalist headquarters in Salamanca.

On 4 July 1940, British Corporal was attacked by S-Boats S-20 and S-26 in the English Channel (50°13′N 02°35′W / 50.217°N 2.583°W / 50.217; -2.583),[17] being hit in the stern by a torpedo.

[18] British Corporal was anchored at Portland, Dorset, and later towed to Southampton, Hampshire,[2] arriving on 20 July.

[23] From HX 80, British Corporal joined Convoy UR 18, which departed from Loch Ewe on 27 March 1942 and arrived at Reykjavík, Iceland, on 7 April.

[24] British Corporal joined Convoy RU 22, which departed Reykjavík on 7 May 1942 and arrived at Loch Ewe on 11 May.

[26] On 9 August 1942, Empire Corporal departed Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, for Key West, Florida.

At 11:57 on 14 August 1942, Empire Corporal was struck by a torpedo that had been fired by the German submarine U-598 and sank off Barlovento Point, Cuba (21°45′N 76°10′W / 21.750°N 76.167°W / 21.750; -76.167) with the loss of six of her crew of 55, including ten DEMS gunners.

[18] Those lost on Empire Corporal are commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.