Western Maid was a 5,760 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1918 by the Northwest Steel Company, Portland, Oregon, USA.

[3] Originally laid down as Aisne for the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, she was taken over by the USSB and launched as Western Maid.

[4] On completion, the ship was passed to the United States Navy and commissioned on 17 August 1918 as USS Western Maid, with the pennant number ID-3703.

The owners of the other vessel attempted to sue the USSB for damages, but the case was dismissed as it was held that Western Maid was "engaged in public service".

Western Maid called at Falmouth and Plymouth and then sailed to Rotterdam, Netherlands before returning to the United States, arriving at Baltimore, Maryland on 12 March 1919.

[9] Her port of registry was London and she bore the UK Official Number 168086 and Code Letters GNFF.

[10] Empire Cormorant then joined Convoy SC 97, which departed Halifax on 22 August and arrived at Liverpool, United Kingdom on 7 September.

Empire Cormorant was a member of Convoy MKS 31, which departed Gibraltar on 23 November and arrived at Liverpool on 7 December.

[15] Empire Cormorant was one of four redundant cargo ships that the Admiralty used to dispose of chemical ammunition in the same area of the North Atlantic in 1945.