Tail Gunner

First published in 1943, Tail Gunner is the absorbing story of one man's involvement in RAF Bomber Command's fledgling offensive between August 1940 and December 1941. Dick Rivaz was tail gunner to Leonard Cheshire, one of the most famous RAF pilots of the Second World War, flying in Whitleys with No. 102 Squadron and latterly in Halifaxes with No. 35 Squadron. Tail Gunner is unique among wartime memoirs, being written within months of the events Rivaz describes, and with all the immediacy of one who was in the very thick of the action. He gives graphic descriptions of his experiences on night bombing attacks against heavily defended enemy targets like Duisberg, Dusseldorf and Essen, and relates a dramatic shoot-out with German fighters over La Rochelle in broad daylight during July 1941. He also tells how, on two consecutive night raids to Cologne, he narrowly escaped disaster. On the first occasion the bomber was set on fire, and the second time it crash-landed in the sea where Rivaz spent eight hours in a dinghy before being rescued. Subsequently he was rescued a second time from the Channel after his aircraft was forced to ditch. Rivaz paints a clear and dramatic picture of his life as a rear gunner, describing his thoughts and actions in the rear gun turret during combat. He also reveals the fine spirit of comradeship which developed in RAF bomber crews during the Second World War. Tail Gunner has been described as one of the outstanding books of the war and is without doubt an important addition to our appreciation of the men who fought the bomber offensive.

History

Rivaz, R C

Military

Sutton Pub Ltd

Originally published in 1943, this is one man's first-hand account of the part he played in RAF Bomber Command's fledgling bomber offensive between August 1940 and December 1941. Richard Rivaz flew as tail gunner to Leonard Cheshire, one of the most famous RAF pilots of World War II. His modest but vivid narrative reveals what it was like to be part of a heavy bomber crew flying first Whitleys and then Halifaxes with No.s 102 and 35 squadrons. He includes vivid descriptions of his personal experiences on daylight and night bombing attacks against targets as diverse as the battleship "Scharnhorst", and the cities of Cologne and Berlin; shoot-outs with German fighters; and two ditchings in the North Sea, one at night - which he survived to write this book. Unlike most wartime memoirs, this was written within months of the events Rivaz describes and with all the immediacy of a man who was in the thick of the action. Sadly, he was killed in October 1945, five months after the end of the War in Europe, when a Liberator of RAF Transport Command in which he was a passenger exploded on take-off from Brussels airport.

Tail Gunner Squadron Leader

Biographies & Memoirs

Sutton Publishing+ltd

First published in 1943, this is the gripping story of one man's involvement in the RAF Bomber Command's fledgling offensive between August 1940 and December 1941. Dick Rivaz was tail gunner to Leonard Cheshire, one of the most famous RAF pilots of the Second World War, flying in Whitleys with No. 102 Squadron and latterly in Halifaxes with No. 35 Squadron. Tail Gunner is unique among wartime memoirs, as it was written within months of the events Rivaz describes, and with all the immediacy of one who was in the very thick of the action. He gives graphic descriptions of his experiences on night bombing attacks against heavily defended enemy targets likes Duisberg, Dusseldorf and Essen, and relates a dramatic shoot-out with German fighters over La Rochelle in broad daylight during July 1941. He survived these events to write this book, but was sadly killed in October 1943, aged just thirty-seven.

First published in 1943, Tail Gunner is the absorbing story of one man's involvement in RAF Bomber Command's fledgling offensive between August 1940 and December 1941. It is unique among wartime memoirs, for it was written within months of the events described, and with all the immediacy of the memories of someone who was in the very thick of the action.The author gives graphic descriptions of his experiences on night bombing attacks against heavily defenced enemy targets like Duisberg, Dusseldorf and Essen, and related a dramatic shoot-out with German fighters over LaRochelle in broad daylight durng July 1941.

Tail Gunner (Transaction Large Print Books)

Isis Large Print Books

‘One of the outstanding books of the war.’ Sunday Express This gripping story of one man’s involvement in RAF Bomber Command’s fledgling offensive was first published in 1943. 
Written only months after the events described, R. C. Rivaz provides a uniquely fresh and immediate perspective on some of the most harrowing episodes of the war. 
He was tail gunner to Leonard Cheshire, one of the most famous RAF pilots of the Second World War and flew in Whitleys with 102 Squadron and Halifaxes with 35 Squadron. 
Rivaz describes his experiences of night bombing attacks against heavily defended enemy targets like Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Essen, recording in captivating detail the sights and sounds of these dangerous night time raids. 
But he describes equally well the colour pallet of the setting sun from fifteen thousand feet, and his turbulent mind set as he prepares for each death defying mission. 
He relates a dramatic shoot-out with German fighters over La Rochelle in broad daylight and describes his near-death encounters with cool but honest detail. 
Rivaz also describes two agonizing crashes over the sea, one occasion of which he waits near frozen for seven hours, buffeted by stormy weather in a rubber dinghy. 
Tailgunner is not only unrivalled in its immediacy and insight, but gripping and eminently readable. 
Richard Rivaz was born in Assam on 15th March 1908, son of a colonial official in the Indian Civil Service. He later returned to England and studied painting at the Royal College of Art. He became an accomplished artist in the 1930s, before training as a teacher and taking up an appointment at Collyer’s School in Sussex, where he taught art. Rivaz volunteered for pilot training in 1940 but was bitterly disappointed to learn that, at the age of thirty-two, he was too old to become a pilot. He commenced training as an air-gunner and saw first service with No. 102 Squadron. He survived many dangerous raids and crashes but was unfortunately killed at the end of the war, when his transport aircraft caught fire on take off from Brussels airport on 13 October 1945. 
For details of other books published by Albion Press go to the website at www.albionpress.co.uk. 
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CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

This gripping story of one man's involvement in RAF Bomber Command's fledgling offensive was first published in 1943.\nWritten only months after the events described, R. C. Rivaz provides a uniquely fresh and immediate perspective on some of the most harrowing episodes of the war. He was tail gunner to Leonard Cheshire, one of the most famous RAF pilots of the Second World War and flew in Whitleys with 102 Squadron and Halifaxes with 35 Squadron.\nRivaz describes his experiences of night bombing attacks against heavily defended enemy targets like Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Essen, recording in captivating detail the sights and sounds of these dangerous night time raids.\nBut he describes equally well the colour pallet of the setting sun from fifteen thousand feet, and his turbulent mind set as he prepares for each death defying mission. He relates a dramatic shoot-out with German fighters over La Rochelle in broad daylight and describes his near-death encounters with cool but honest detail.\nRivaz also describes two agonizing crashes over the sea, one occasion of which he waits near frozen for seven hours, buffeted by stormy weather in a rubber dinghy.\nTail Gunner is not only unrivalled in its immediacy and insight, but gripping and eminently readable.

Historical

Lume Books

Flight Lieutenant Richard Rivaz' continues his firsthand account of his time in RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. 
After his heroic exploits as a tail gunner, as narrated in the bestselling Tail Gunner, Rivaz is moved on to flight training in Canada. And for a man used to bombing raids over Europe, the war in Canada is a very different world... 
Rivaz describes the intensely rigorous training he undertakes, documenting both his successes and failures as he learns to fly. He reveals what it was like to train as a pilot during the Second World War with a remarkably modest yet vivid narration. 
Yet Rivaz' memoir is also an account of those who served around him. Including one pilot who believed gremlins brought down his plane. Written within months of the events, Rivas describes with the immediacy of a man who was in the thick of the action. 
Tail Gunner Takes Over is a powerfully personal memoir of one man's war in the air.

Tail Gunner Takes Over: The Sequel to Tail Gunner

Leaders & Notable People

GARDNERS VI BOOKS AMS006

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Books by Rivaz, R C

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Rivaz, R C. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Tail Gunner

Tail Gunner Squadron Leader

Tail Gunner

Tail Gunner (Transaction Large Print Books)

Tail Gunner

Tail Gunner

Tail Gunner Takes Over: The Sequel to Tail Gunner

Tail Gunner