Thomas McNamara Russell (died 22 July 1824) was an admiral in the Royal Navy. Russell's naval career spanned the American Revolutionary War, French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic War. Admiral Russell is best remembered for his command of a squadron in the North Sea when he took possession of Heligoland after Denmark came into the war on the side of the French in 1809. His career was also notable due to the single-ship action fought between the 20-gun HMS Hussar and the 32-gun French frigate Sybille in which he captured the French frigate despite her superior number of men and guns. There is controversy surrounding the event in that the capture happened towards the end of the American Revolution and the British officers claimed that the French were flying false colours and a distress flag during the action. Whilst it was common for ships of opposing nations to lure, or escape from, one another with false colours it was considered dishonourable to continue flying false flags once the action had begun. Similarly, the flying of a flag of distress was not an acceptable ruse de guerre, as it would dissuade shipping from approaching a vessel in genuine distress. Early life and career Russell was the son of an Englishman who settled in Ireland, where he married a Miss Macnamara, probably a daughter and coheiress of Sheedy MacNamara of Balyally, County Clare. On the death of his father when he was five years old, he is said to have inherited a large fortune, which, by the carelessness or dishonesty of his trustees, disappeared before he was fourteen. After a short period in the Merchant Navy Russell first appears on the ship's muster of guardship at Plymouth in 1766. He was moved as an able seaman to the 74-gun third-rate . He served as an able seaman for three years until his promotion to midshipman in 1769 aboard the cutter employed on "preventive service" in the North Sea. Russell was promoted master's mate aboard , guardship at Portsmouth under Captain Mariot Arbuthnot. American Revolutionary War He passed his examination on 2 December 1772, being then described in his certificate as "more than 32." In 1776 he was serving on the coast of North America, and on 2 June was promoted by Rear-Admiral Molyneux Shuldham to be lieutenant of the sloop , from which he was moved to his first command, the 12-gun brig