Hartland de Montarville Molson (May 29, 1907 – September 28, 2002) was an Anglo-Quebecer statesman, Canadian senator, military aviator, and a member of the Molson family of brewers.

Education

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to a wealthy brewing family (father was Colonel Herbert Molson), Hartland Molson was educated at Selwyn House School in Montreal, Bishop's College School in Lennoxville, Quebec and Charterhouse School in England before attending the Royal Military College of Canada at Kingston, Ontario arriving in 1924, there he played ice hockey for the Kingston Juniors team that made it to 1926 Memorial Cup finals. An all-around athlete, Molson also played first string football, made it to the college's boxing finals twice, and was a member of the track and field team. After graduating in 1928, the bilingual Molson was then sent for training in finance as an employee at a bank in Paris, France. On his return home, he earned his Chartered Accountant designation and in his spare time took flying lessons. In accord with his arrangement with the service following military college, Molson served as a reserve officer in the Militia for five years. He reached the rank of Lieutenant while with the 27th Field Battery between 1928 and 1933.

thumb|right|Hartland Molson as an RMC cadet in the mid 1920s

Family

In 1931, he married Helen Hogg but divorced in 1938. They had a daughter, Zoe. She married Henry Nicholas Paul Hardinge, 5th Viscount Hardinge, and moved to live in Jersey.

His second wife, Magdalena Posner, died in 1982. In 1990 Molson married Peggy deLancey Robinson, the widow of former Senator Theodore Meighen. He remained married to Peggy until her death on 18 December 2000. Through his marriage to Peggy, he was also a stepfather to Senator Michael Meighen.

Wartime military service

Molson enlisted in Montreal, Quebec on 21 September 1939 within weeks of the onset of World War II becoming a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He earned his wings on 11 April 1940 and was assigned to No. 115 Squadron RCAF in Montreal. He was one of a handful of No. 115 Squadron pilots transferred to No. 1 Squadron RCAF in the spring of 1940 to bolster its numbers in preparation for shipment to the United Kingdom. Arriving in England in June 1940, the squadron underwent rapid training in Royal Air Force (RAF) procedures before being thrown into the desperate battles in the skies over the UK. During the Battle of Britain, he damaged a Do 17 on 26 August, damaged two Messerschmitt Bf 110s on 4 September and claimed a Heinkel He 111 destroyed on 11 September. Molson was shot down during combat with enemy fighters over Canterbury on 5 October, bailed out, wounded, and was admitted to Chartham Hospital. His Hurricane, P3873, crashed at Deering Farm, Smarden. It was his last operational flight. Molson had flown 62 combat missions.

Molson was repatriated to Canada for convalescence. Upon being declared once again fit for flying duties, he was promoted to squadron leader and given command of No. 118 Squadron RCAF flying Grumman Goblins and later Curtiss Kittyhawks at RCAF Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In 2009, 1800 Honourable Hartland de Montaville Molson, OC, OBE, OQ, DCL, FCA (1907–2002) was added to the wall of honour at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.

Fishing

Molson was a well-known salmon fisherman on the Bonaventure River; in Gaspesie.

Archives

The Molson fonds at Library and Archives Canada include a Hartland Molson sub-series.

References

  • Hartland Molson

See also

  • List of Bishop's College School alumni