He officially suffers from eight conditions attributable to his time in the Royal New Zealand Navy between 1963 and 1971 - noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears), heart disease, macular degeneration (blurred vision), sleep apnoea (breathing difficulties), type-2diabetes, spinal problems and osteoarthritis in his knees and hands.
The hearing loss is directly attributable to his role as a gunner firing shells in confined spaces aboard ship, while his back problems have been traced to dockside duties.
"In those days we loaded ships by hand. We lifted everything - heavy shells and all our stores. These days it would all be done by crane."
So it is no surprise that Mr Mowat (63) receives a full war pension plus a 155% disability allowance (there is a payment given for each disability), free medical care and travel concessions.
But it hasn't always been that way.
He has been on a pension for only about 18 months, after being encouraged to do so by Dunedin RSA welfare officer Maggie Brownlie.
Mr Mowat managed hotels in South Otago, Dunedin and Port Chalmers for years but had to retire early four years ago because of ill health.
Life on the sickness benefit was a struggle and he sold his home and moved into a Dunedin City Council pensioner cottage to save money.
His war pension means he is "well looked after" now.
But he regrets not applying earlier and could have done so even when he was working full-time as war pensions are not means-tested and are paid on top of veterans' other income.
"I didn't know about war pensions - how they worked and what you had to do to get one. I didn't know, and I have been involved with the welfare side of the RSA for 30 years."
Now he knows if he had obtained a war pension earlier, he probably would have been able to keep his home.
"I would have been able to get help with mowing the lawns and doing the gardens. And with paying the bills."
Mr Mowat now makes sure he encourages other veterans and their widows to apply for pensions.
He fully supports the simplification and streamlining of the application process which he hopes will result from the appointment of the expert panel on health and the review of the War Pensions Act.
"Things are heading in the right direction."
