Squadron Leader Harvey Nelson Sweetman

Born in Auckland on 10 October 1921, Harvey Sweetman was a clerk before joining the RNZAF in April 1940. After completing his flying training, he sailed for the United Kingdom in November 1940 as a Sergeant-Pilot.

Having converted to Spitfires in Scotland, Sweetman joined 234 Squadron in mid-February 1941, and was posted a month later to 485 Squadron, the first New Zealand fighter unit, then forming at Driffield. Declared operational on 12 April 1941, the unit moved south to Redhill in July to begin Circus operations over France. 
 
Sweetman claimed Bf 109’s destroyed on 29 August and 18 September. 485 took part in the operations over the Channel on 12 February 1942 when the German battleships ’Scharnhorst’ and ’Gneisenau’ made their famous dash, and Sweetman shared in the destruction of another Bf 109. 
 
In early March 1942, having been commissioned as a Pilot Officer, Sweetman was posted to 486 Squadron which was then forming at Kirton-in-Lindsey as the second New Zealand fighter squadron with Hurricanes. The unit was detached to Wittering in May to co-operate with Turbinlite Havocs, flying night sorties in search of German raiders. As well as these duties the unit also flew night scrambles and on one of these, on 23 July 1942, Sweetman destroyed a DO 217E in the face of return fire. The crew baled out and confirmed that a single-seat fighter had shot them down. 
 
The squadron now began to convert to Typhoons and when the Wittering attachment ceased it moved south to begin anti-Rhubarb operations. 
 
On 9 April 1943 Sweetman shared in the destruction of an FW 190 and a week later, after being hit by flak over Le Havre, he managed to reach the English coast and crash land in a potato field near Selsy Bill. 
 
In early July Sweetman went on a Fighter Leader course and on his return to the squadron was made a flight commander. When his tour finished in August 1943 he was awarded the DFC and was posted to Hawker Aircraft as a production test pilot. 
 
On 16 February 1944 Sweetman rejoined 486 Squadron. In April its Typhoons were replaced by Tempests to become operational on 1 May as part of the Newchurch Wing. On 16 June the unit began patrols in search of V-1 flying bombs, then being launched by the Germans against southern England from sites in the Low Countries. During the next two months Sweetman destroyed ten V-1’s and shared another. 
 
He was promoted to Acting Squadron Leader on 15 September 1944 and was posted to command 3 Squadron. He led the Squadron to Grimbergen in Holland at the end of the month, to join 122 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force. Sweetman destroyed an Me 262 on 26 November, as it was taxying on Rheine aerodrome. 
 
In January 1945 Sweetman completed his second tour and returned to Hawker’s for further test pilot duties. He later joined 3 Course at the Empire Test Pilots’ School. 
 
Harvey Sweetman currently lives in retirement in Auckland.