Following the outbreak of war, Bowley enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 25 June 1940, serving in the 3 Reserve Personnel Pool and reaching the rank of Sergeant by the time of his discharge on 19 October 1945.
Following the outbreak of war, Bowley enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 25 June 1940, serving in the 3 Reserve Personnel Pool, and was in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in 1942. Bowley reached the rank of Sergeant by the time of his discharge on 19 October 1945.