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Sixteen episodes on podcast platforms now.
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WE sons of World War two vetERANs
A podcast about men who fought in World War Two whose stories are told by their sons.
A podcast that explores the effects of the war - on the men who fought in it and on the next generation.
Powerful, poignant, personal reflections from baby boomer sons on their World War Two veteran fathers.
Latest: Episodes 15 & 16 - Rick and Peter (Parts 1 & 2)
Retired Suffolk teacher, Rick Shepperson, talks about his father, Peter, who was in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He served on a minesweeper in the English Channel and then commanded a landing craft, with 250 GIs on board, during the Allied invasion of Sicily.
Peter later spent time in Malta and India. And he landed British commandos on the coast of Burma.
Part 1 of the interview covers Peter's time on the minesweeper; his wartime trip to New York to collect his landing craft from the Perth Amboy shipyard; and his role in Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily).
Part 2 covers his time in Malta; a VIP military passenger; Peter's time in India; the transportation of commandos along the coast of Burma; and his complicated postwar life.
More details about all the episodes are on this website's "Episodes" page:
https://www.matthewcollins.com/episodes-we-sons-of-ww2-vets
We Sons of World War Two Veterans is a podcast about men who fought in WW2, whose stories are told by their sons.
In each episode, Matthew Collins speaks to a WW2 veteran's son who has the chance to pay tribute to his father. And to explore the effects of the war - on him and on his family.
Matthew's father, Patrick, joined the RAF in May 1939 when he was 17. This is him as a new recruit:
He returned home in 1946 at the age of 24 - more mature in many ways than Matthew was at 40.
But Patrick rarely talked about the war. And when he did, he usually told light-hearted stories about it - rather than discuss fully what he'd seen and done.
He was, however, serious when discussing family members - a brother who was shot at Dunkirk; a cousin whose ship was torpedoed; and his own father who'd survived battles in the First World War (as well as uncles who had not).
War experiences seeped into Matthew's consciousness. From a young age, he appreciated that he was part of a lucky generation that was unlikely to be called upon to fight.
But what if he had been called up? And if war had broken out, how might he have responded?
And as a young man, was he experiencing what Samuel Johnson described: "Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier..."?
After his father died, Matthew started to compare notes with other veterans' sons.
He then interviewed men who told the stories of their fathers' war. And reflected on its effects. On their fathers and on themselves.
But the interviews also became explorations of the contrast between two very different generations.
And explorations of father/son relationships.
The podcast was launched in 2025. Sixteen episodes are now available. The latest features retired teacher Rick Shepperson from Suffolk who talks about his father, Peter, a British landing craft commander who, after a wartime trip to New York to collect his vessel from a New Jersey shipyard, took part in the Invasion of Sicily.
Matthew is still looking for sons of Axis fighters.
But, following demand, he's started to interview WW2 veterans' daughters.
So, if you're the son or daughter of a WW2 veteran and would like to be interviewed, please get in touch. See Contact form below.
Details of all episodes are on this website's "Episodes" page:
https://www.matthewcollins.com/episodes-we-sons-of-ww2-vets
And for articles by Matthew related to the podcast (including an account of Patrick's early life and his 1946 homecoming), please visit:
https://www.patreon.com/c/wesonsofww2vets/
Podcast Background
Thank you for your interest in We Sons of WW2 Veterans
But before you go, here's a delicate request:
Matthew's spent two years working on this project. He's travelled around the country meeting veterans' sons and put in many hours creating the finished episodes.
But this project has gone beyond his initial desire to give veterans' sons the opportunity to tell their fathers' stories.
Thanks to the openness of interviewees, the podcast's become a series of powerful reflections on the inter-generational effects of war - and on the relationships between World War Two fathers and their baby boomer children.
And as global politics have become more fraught than they've been since the end of World War Two, it feels timely to remind ourselves of what it can take to maintain peace and freedom.
Matthew's completely self-funded this project. But there are still many stories he wants to tell. And now he wants to interview veterans' daughters too.
So, if you are able to support this podcast, in any way, you will help create the new episodes. And even do a small bit to document World War Two's legacy.
To make a financial contribution to this podcast, please hit the 'Support the Show' button under each episode's blurb on any podcast platform.
Or, better still, please visit the We Sons of World War Two Veterans pages of the creators' website, Patreon. Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/c/wesonsofww2vets/
On these pages, you can read exclusive articles by Matthew and explore 'Membership'; and support the podcast with a monthly subscription.
His latest Patreon article is about WW2 boys in the desert. They certainly knew what a heatwave was (and didn't have sun cream or air conditioners).
You can also contact Matthew (see form below) to discuss making a direct, one-off contribution.
Thank you so much for your support.
For a bio of Matthew: https://www.matthewcollins.com/about
And if you want to tell your father's story, please get in touch via the Contact Form below.