Education
Matamata College.
Matamata College.
He left New Zealand in 1940 as a sergeant-pilot, and, after service with both 234 and 485 (New Zealand) 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 Royal Canadian Air Force Beaufighter.
Shortly after 30 July 1942, 486 Squadron began re-equipping with the newly introduced Hawker Typhoon.
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.