 Bowman "babied" his crippled craft home despite its lack of lateral control.His second victory, on 27 September, was a run-away German observation balloon which he downed after finding it drifting over the lines; however he crashed while trying to land alongside the balloon wreckage on Mount Kemmel.On 1 January 1917 he was appointed a flight commander with the temporary rank of captain, receiving promotion to the permanent rank of captain on 1 April 1917.