John Seymour Bowen was the son of Ernest John and Kathleen (Seymour) Bowen, of Solihull, Warwickshire. He enlisted in the Royal Artillery and volunteered for Airborne Forces.

Trooper Bowen successfully completed parachute training and was posted to 1st Special Air Service Regiment, Army Air Corps and took part in Operation Overlord (D Day landings).

Tpr Bowen was killed in action on 18 June 1944, aged 22, and is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial to the missing.

Newspaper cutting kindly donated by Bryan Johncock