Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Harry Bowles a shoe maker, born 1873 in Bradford, Yorks., and his wife Charlotte, born 1873 in Leicester. John was born in 1898 in Leicester, his siblings were Frederick, born 1901 and Grace, born 1900, both his siblings were born in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at 93, Curzon Street, Leicester. In April 1911 John was residing in the family home at Stamford Houses, 97½, Curzon Street, Leicester, together with his parents and siblings, Grace, Frederick, Winifred, born 1904, Nellie, born 1906, Joe, born 1908 and Clara, born 1910, the latter four siblings were all born in Leicester. John enlisted on the 28th October 1915 and embarked to join the British Expeditionary Force as a Signaller on the 6th October 1916, where he joined his unit, the 188th Brigade, Machine Gun Company on the 12th December 1916 serving until the 9th January 1917 when he developed influenza, he was returned to Home Service from the Base Depot at Calais on the 5th March 1917. He again embarked to rejoin the British Expeditionary Force on the 11th November 1917, and joined the 223rd Machine Gun Company on the 14th January 1918, this unit became the 63rd Machine Gun Battalion on the 1st March 1918. John continued to serve with this Battalion until he was killed in action on the 13th March 1918.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Extracts from Leicester Chronicle March 1918:
Local Casualties:

'Mr and Mrs H Bowles, 97 1/2 Curzon Street, Leicester have received official notification that their son. A.B. John Bowles, Signaller M.G.C., R.N.D., was killed in action on March 13th last. He was 19 years of age and joined up in Ocober 1915. Before enlisting he was apprenticed to Mr. J. Cox, painter and decorator, Knighton Church Road'.

Births, Marriages and Deaths:

'Bowles- Killed in action, on March 13th 1918. Signaller A. B. John Bowles, aged 19 years, M.G.C., R. N.D., dearly beloved son of Mr and Mrs H. Bowles, 97 1/2 Curzon Street. Loved by all who knew him- from his sorrowing Mother and Father, Sisters and Brothers'.

Research and photographs submitted by R. Waterfield, family member, 2017.