Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 10, 2020 16:46:31 GMT 12
Cup Day 2020: McCaw choppers WW2 veterans into sold out Addington Raceway
10 November 2020
All Blacks legend Richie McCaw gave two World War 2 veterans a lift to Addington Raceway today in his helicopter - dropping them off in front of thousands of racegoers who turned out for the biggest day on Canterbury's social calendar.
Starved of outings during a Covid-19-disrupted year, 12,000 people flocked to the sold-out Cup Day races in Christchurch.....
At 1.02pm, the cup arrived by helicopter, piloted by Rugby World Cup winning captain McCaw, with two special guests on board.
One of New Zealand's oldest war veterans, 103-year-old Neil Harton experienced his first-ever helicopter ride.
Harton, who spent five years in the Navy and recently returned to the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy where he served in 1944, will also be joined by fellow centurion Jack Marshall.
Christchurch's Marshall, an RNZAF air gunner, was involved in many acts of bravery and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). On his first tour, he survived a ditching in the North Sea for 16 hours due to the loss of port engine from enemy fire and on his second tour survived two airfield crashes due to pilot error.
They got a hero's welcome when they touch down in front of the large crowd.
Richie McCaw delivers the New Zealand Trotting Cup alongside war veterans Neil Harton and Jack Marshall. Photo: Getty
See full story here
www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-sport/star-racing/cup-day-2020-mccaw-choppers-ww2-veterans-sold-out-addington-raceway?fbclid=IwAR1Z6Ufiq4vk_0USruODbJ5m3ZgHsPx0jsVSSKHupe3wMpEOzpzCC-bHVsY
10 November 2020
All Blacks legend Richie McCaw gave two World War 2 veterans a lift to Addington Raceway today in his helicopter - dropping them off in front of thousands of racegoers who turned out for the biggest day on Canterbury's social calendar.
Starved of outings during a Covid-19-disrupted year, 12,000 people flocked to the sold-out Cup Day races in Christchurch.....
At 1.02pm, the cup arrived by helicopter, piloted by Rugby World Cup winning captain McCaw, with two special guests on board.
One of New Zealand's oldest war veterans, 103-year-old Neil Harton experienced his first-ever helicopter ride.
Harton, who spent five years in the Navy and recently returned to the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy where he served in 1944, will also be joined by fellow centurion Jack Marshall.
Christchurch's Marshall, an RNZAF air gunner, was involved in many acts of bravery and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). On his first tour, he survived a ditching in the North Sea for 16 hours due to the loss of port engine from enemy fire and on his second tour survived two airfield crashes due to pilot error.
They got a hero's welcome when they touch down in front of the large crowd.
Richie McCaw delivers the New Zealand Trotting Cup alongside war veterans Neil Harton and Jack Marshall. Photo: Getty
See full story here
www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-sport/star-racing/cup-day-2020-mccaw-choppers-ww2-veterans-sold-out-addington-raceway?fbclid=IwAR1Z6Ufiq4vk_0USruODbJ5m3ZgHsPx0jsVSSKHupe3wMpEOzpzCC-bHVsY
