Harvey Sweetman
| Harvey Sweetman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
10 October 1921 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Died |
15 January 2015 (aged 93) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand |
| Service/branch | Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Years of service | 1940–1945 |
| Rank | Squadron Leader |
| Unit |
No. 234 Squadron No. 485 Squadron No. 486 Squadron |
| Commands held | No. 3 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Squadron Leader Harvey Nelson Sweetman DFC (10 October 1921 – 15 January 2015) was a New Zealand pilot who served in the Royal Air Force with 486 (NZ) Squadron during World War II.
Sweetman was educated at Matamata District High School in the Waikato, where he was swimming champion and captain of the 1st XI cricket team.[1] He left New Zealand in 1940 as a sergeant-pilot,[1] and, after service with both 234 and 485 (NZ) Squadrons, he joined 486 Squadron as 'B' Flight commander in March 1942. At its establishment, 486 Squadron was equipped with the Hawker Hurricane MkIIB, operating as a night fighter unit from Wittering. On 23/24 July, Sweetman scored the squadron's first aerial victory of the war, a Do217 that was shared with an RCAF Beaufighter.
Shortly after 30 July 1942, 486 Squadron began re-equipping with the newly introduced Hawker Typhoon. In May 1943, Sweetman was the second 486 Squadron pilot to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (after Frank Murphy a week earlier). Still commanding 'B' Flight at this point, Sweetman's tally of victories stood at two aircraft destroyed and a further two shared. In July 1943 Sweetman left 486 to take up production testing for Hawker, returning to the squadron for a second tour to command 'A' Flight in February 1944. By this time the unit had converted to the Hawker Tempest Mk V. and from the middle of 1944 Sweetman and 486 Squadron became heavily involved in the campaign to protect London and southeast England from the V1 flying bomb offensive. Sweetman became a V1 ace by claiming 11 (and 1 shared) V1 flying bombs during this period. Following the loss of Sqn Ldr Wigglesworth, Sweetman was given command of 3 Squadron in September 1944. He finished the war with a second period with Hawker as a test pilot. After the war Sweetman returned to New Zealand and lived in retirement in Auckland. He died in January 2015 at the age of 93.[2]
Sources
- 1 2 "Brilliant airman". New Zealand Herald. 27 September 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
- ↑ WWII RAF squadron leader dies stuff.co.nz, 17 January 2015
- The Wild Winds: The History of Number 486 RNZAF Fighter Squadron with the RAF, Sortehaug, P (1998)
- Typhoon/Tempest Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces), Thomas, C (1999)
- Biography of Harvey Sweetman