A Royal Engineers officer during World War II, he was the first commander of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

[2] In mid 1943 Scott-Bowden joined Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP), the reconnaissance unit tasked with scouting the beaches for the D Day landings.

Scott-Bowden and another COPPist, Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith, swam ashore in Normandy over thirty times to obtain sand samples to see whether the beach would support tanks.

Scott-Bowden said to him "Sir, I hope you don’t mind me saying it, but this beach is a very formidable proposition indeed and there are bound to be tremendous casualties."

[2] After World War II, he had operational service in Burma, Palestine, Korea, Aden and lastly in Northern Ireland.

[2] His final appointment in the Armed Services, on promotion to Major General, was as Head of the British Defence Liaison Staff, India.