Empire Darwin was a British 6,765 GRT CAM ship built in 1941 by William Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

Her Hawker Sea Hurricane was involved in the last action by an aircraft flown off a CAM ship, shooting down a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor on 28 July 1943.

[3] She was operated under the management of Evan T Radcliffe & Co Ltd.[4] Empire Darwin arrived at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire on 19 July 1941.

[5] Empire Darwin was a member of Convoy SC 46, which departed from Sydney on 24 September and arrived at Liverpool on 10 October.

The next day, she joined Convoy BB 87,[5] which arrived at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire on 13 October.

[5] Empire Darwin departed from Cardiff on 18 January 1942 and sailed to Liverpool via Milford Haven.

[5] Empire Darwin departed from Cardiff on 29 June for Milford Haven, arriving the next day and sailing the day after to Belfast Lough,[5][17] where she embarked her aircraft and joined Convoy OG86, which had departed from Liverpool on 2 July and arrived at Gibraltar on 14 July.

[18][19] They were assembled at Gibraltar and loaded on board HMS Eagle and flow to Malta as part of Operation Insect.

She was carrying a cargo of iron ore.[21] She departed Liverpool on 25 August for Holyhead, Anglesey, arriving the next day and joining Convoy BB 213,[5] which had departed from Belfast Lough that day and arrived at Milford Haven on 26 August.

Empire Darwin departed Cardiff on 2 September for Swansea, Glamorgan, arriving the next day.

She sailed from Halifax three days later, joining Convoy ON 131,[5] which had departed from Liverpool on 18 September and arrived at New York on 4 October.

[5] Empire Darwin departed from the Clyde on 24 December as a member of Convoy KMS6G, which arrived at Bône, Algeria on 8 January 1943.

[34] On 28 July, her Hawker Sea Hurricane shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor some 800 nautical miles (1,500 km) west of Bordeaux, France.

He bailed out of his aircraft and was picked up by HMS Leith, on board which he enjoyed a hot bath and a glass of whisky.

[36] She was carrying a cargo of phosphates,[33] and left the convoy at Rothesay Bay, Buteshire on 4 August.

[5] She then joined Convoy EN 278, which departed that day and arrived at Loch Ewe on 9 September.

[38] She departed Gibraltar that day as a member of Convoy KMS 28, which arrived at Port Said, Egypt on 19 October.

Empire Darwin departed from Naples on 12 November as a member of Convoy NV 8, which arrived at Augusta, Sicily the next day.

[40] She then joined Convoy OS 59, which departed from Gibraltar on 27 November and arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone on 8 December.

[5] Empire Darwin departed Port Harcourt on 7 January 1944 for Lagos, where she arrived three days later.

A week later, she departed Takoradi as a member of Convoy TS 59, arriving back at Freetown on 7 June.

[5] She was carrying a cargo of manganese ore.[45] Empire Darwin sailed from Liverpool on 20 July for the Clyde, arriving the next day.

[49] She then joined Convoy GUS 52,[5] which had departed from Port Said on 11 September and arrived at the Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States on 8 October.

Empire Darwin departed Gibraltar on 30 September as a member of Convoy OS 90, which arrived at Freetown on 11 October.

[5] She departed Southend on 30 November as a member of Convoy FN 1557, which arrived a Methil on 2 December.

She was carrying a cargo of coal bound for Casablanca,[55] which she reached as a member of Convoy GC 108, arriving on 14 January.

[1] On 26 July 1953, Culrain was on a voyage from Middlesbrough to Bône when she was in collision with the 1,375 GRT Spanish steamship Duero in foggy weather in the Strait of Gibraltar (35°37′N 5°25′W / 35.617°N 5.417°W / 35.617; -5.417).

[60] She sank within an hour and a half,[61] but her crew of 27 and single passenger were rescued by Culrain, which was only slightly damaged in the collision.

[60] In 1959, Culrain was sold to the North Europe & Persian Gulf Transport Corporation, Beirut, Lebanon, and was renamed Mersinidi.

[4] She was operated under the management of J Livanos & Sons Ltd. Mersinidi arrived on 30 December 1966 at Singapore for scrapping.