Born on June 26th, 1817, and was gazetted on May 18th, 1841, Assistant Surgeon to the 48th Foot. He was promoted Staff Surgeon (2nd Class) on December 26th, 1851, and joined the Rifle Brigade on February 13th, 1852, being promoted Surgeon Major on May 18th, 1861. He was made Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals on March 9th, 1867, and became Deputy Surgeon General (Army Medical Department) on the same day, rising to be Surgeon General on April 28th, 1876. He retired on half pay on June 26th, 1877. He served in the Kafir War (1852-1853) and during the Crimean campaign. He was one of the survivors of the historic shipwreck of HM Troopship *Birkenhead*, an iron paddle-wheeled vessel of 556 horse-power, which became unmanageable off Simon’s Bay, Cape of Good Hope, when on her voyage from Queenstown to the Cape (January 7th - February 26th, 1852). She foundered after striking on a rock off Simon’s Bay, and there perished 454 of the crew and of the soldiers, of whom numerous detachments were on board. Only 184 persons were saved, including the women and children. The soldiers, all young men, showed magnificent discipline, and set the tradition of ‘women and children first’ in cases of shipwreck. Surgeon General Bowen died at Eastfield, near Weston-super-Mare, on June 7th, 1895.