Thomas George Shortland entered the Navy in January 1785 in the ‘Irresistible’ under Sir Andrew Snape Hamond in the Channel. In March 1787 he joined the ‘Alexander’, one of Commodore Arthur Phillip’s squadron bound for New South Wales; he returned in her in May 1789. He was promoted lieutenant of the sloop ‘Speedy’ on 19 November 1790 before moving to the frigate ‘Nemesis’ in January 1793, part of Lord Hood’s Mediterranean fleet. Shortland then joined the ‘Romney’ in September 1794 and the ‘Melpomene’ in April 1795. He commanded the boats of the frigate in the daring action to cut out the armed brig ‘Aventurier’ from beneath the batteries in the Bay of Corréjou on the night of 3–4 August 1798. In recognition, he was promoted commander on 20 April 1799 and appointed to the sloop ‘Voltigeur’ at Newfoundland.
In 1801, back in Britain, he was appointed to the 80-gun ‘Donegal’ in dock at Portsmouth. His efforts in speedily fitting her for sea were rewarded by being made acting captain of the 36-gun frigate ‘Dédaigneuse’: rank and command were confirmed on 1 March 1802. Further commands followed and in 1806 he was appointed to command the 80-gun ‘Canopus’ as flag captain to Sir Thomas Louis. After another series of commands in the Mediterranean, the Scheldt and the West Indies, he was appointed agent for prisoners of war at Dartmoor in November 1813. Between April 1816 and April 1819 he was captain-superintendent of the ordinary at Plymouth and then spent three years as comptroller-general of the preventive boat service. On 14 July 1825, Shortland was made resident commissioner at Jamaica, where he died late in 1827.