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On New Years Eve 1914, after the initial rush was over, Ned Bowden, a 24 year old married printer from Queen Street, North Hobart volunteered for enlistment. He stated that he had seven and a half years experience with the 93rd Infantry and was in fact still serving. He was allotted to and embarked for overseas with the 2nd Reinforcements for the 12th Battalion on HMAT A46 Clan Macgillivray on 2 February 1915. Whilst on board he must have been given a further medical examination where it was discovered that he had problems with his right knee. He was disembarked at Colombo and returned to Australia for discharge and undertook Home Service.
In March 1917 he re-enlisted this time with the Permanent Guard. In January 1920 he was discharged at his own request. Six years later he joined the Citizen Forces.
But this was not the end of his connection with the military. At the beginning of January 1941 he was transferred from the unit reserve list to the active list and marched into camp at Brighton with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 with the P. W. Camp—he was now 55 years of age. WO2 Bowden was posted to various sites around the south of the state including Campania, Richmond, Elwick, New Town and Kingston. On 16 September 1946 he took his final discharge from the military.
Post war he returned to his previous occupation as that of printer. Ned died on 9 July 1962, aged 72 years.