[3] In autumn 1842, Bate was assigned to Commander Collinson on HMS Bentinck, who had been tasked with surveying the waters around the Chinese coast.

Bate sent her back to Britain, transferring his command to the sixth rate HMS Actaeon, while he awaited the arrival of his new ship.

[1] While cruising off the Chinese coast, the Arrow incident occurred, the prelude to the Second Opium War, and the British decided to bombard the port of Canton.

Bate was put in charge of the landing parties, and whilst overseeing operations from HMS Barracouta, was struck on the hand by some shot, and was slightly wounded.

After landing, he was determining the height of the wall to be scaled with his sextant but was hit in the right breast by a ball fired from a jingal.

Our gratification at this quick success with trifling losses has been damped by a great calamity, in the death of Captain William Thornton Bate, of Her Majesty's ship Actaeon, who was killed by a gingall ball whilst reconnoitring a suitable spot for placing our scaling ladders.

3.This sad event had placed a gloom over the whole force, Captain Bate being no less beloved for his many virtues, than respected and admired for his professional ability.

A memorial was erected in St Ann's Church in Portsea,[9] as well as in the grounds of St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong Island.

[11] Mount Bate on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, was probably named after him by Captain George Henry Richards.