Harvey Sweetman

Squadron Leader Harvey Nelson Sweetman (born 10 October 1921) was a New Zealand pilot who served in the Royal Air Force with 486 (NZ) Squadron during World War II. Sweetman is originally from the North Island town of Matamata in the Waikato. After Service with both 234 and 485 (NZ) Squadrons, Sweetman 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 the23/24 July, Sweetman scored the squadron's first aerial victory of the war, a Do217 that was shared with an RCAF Beaufighter.

Shortly after on 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 as of 1999 lived in retirement in Auckland.