Thomas Parke (Royal Marines officer)

General Thomas Adams Parke C.B. was a career officer in the Royal Marines. Associated with the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) of the nineteenth century Royal Marines; he was for many years commandant of that corps. Toward the end of his long and distinguished service, he led the Woolwich Division of the Royal Marines as Colonel Commandant.

Biography
Thomas Adams Parke was born in the civil parish of Fawley, Hampshire, on October 13, 1780. "General Thomas Adams Parke, C.B., of the Royal Marines" died "at his residence, Hythe, near Southampton" on September 3, 1858. He was then 77 years old.

He served in the Napoleonic Wars; his first notable action was the Battle of Camperdown aboard HMS Triumph. In 1812, he commanded two companies of artillery which supported the 1st and 2nd Battalions, Royal Marines in Spain. He was the Marine Artillery brigade commander when this force redeployed to North America in 1813 to fight the War of 1812, with a rocket detachment supplementing his original two companies.

Promotions, awards, and titles

 * Second Lieutenant, (H.M. Marine Forces)  19 May 1795.
 * First Lieutenant, (H.M. Marine Forces)  23 November 1796.
 * Captain, Royal Marine Artillery (Royal Marines) 15 August 1805.
 * Brevet Major, (Army List) 12 August 1819.
 * Major, Royal Marine Artillery (Royal Marines) 22 July 1830.
 * Lieutenant Colonel Royal Marine Artillery (Royal Marines) 31 December 1832.
 * Colonel,and 2nd Commandant Royal Marines 26 Apr 1838.
 * Colonel Commandant, Royal Marines 12 February 1842.
 * Brevet Major General, (Army List) 11 November 1851.
 * Brevet Lieutenant General, (Army List) 20 June 1855.
 * Brevet General, (Army List)  2 February 1857.
 * Companion of the Bath 26 September 1831.
 * Naval General Service Medal (1847) with clasp "Camperdown".