Listen to the trailer:
Ten episodes on podcast platforms now.
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WE sons of world war two vets
A podcast about men who fought in WW2 whose stories are told by their sons.
Produced and presented by Matthew Collins.
Latest: Episode 10, Ray and "Nick" (Oct '25) about Royal Navy engineer Nick Wells.
Most popular so far: Episode 9, Richard and Jack (about nightfighter pilot, Jack Foster).
To find out more about Matthew Collins (below with dad, Patrick) click here.
We Sons of World War Two Vets is a new podcast (2025) about men who fought in World War Two, 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. He returned home at the age of 24, more mature in many ways than Matthew was at 40.
But his father 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 other 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?
After his father died, he 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.
To coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2, ten episodes have, so far, been published.
The most recent (Oct '25) Episode 10 - Ray and Nick, is about Royal Navy engineer, Nick Wells.
Below are details of all ten episodes, now available on podcast platforms.
Episode 1 is a 17-minutes-long taster, featuring extracts from episodes.
The other nine are individual interviews with sons of men who fought in World War Two.
These are the three latest:
Episode 10, Ray and "Nick" (October '25)
Before WW2, Nick Wells was a commercial vehicle engineer. At the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Navy and became an engine room 'artificer'.
He was at sea - away from his wife and daughter - for four years.
Ray arrived in 1946 - one of the first baby boomers.
Nick didn't talk much about his war but one horrific tale stuck in his son's mind: Nick saw a colleague get vaporised by steam from a damaged turbine when their ship was hit by a torpedo.
Other stories included accounts of going ashore in Crete with commandos in small dinghies to sabotage enemy supply lines.
And then hurtling perilously back to the UK across the Mediterranean. "Blood, sweat and tears," was how he described the voyage.
There were also mentions of freezing Murmansk and motorcycling across the Egyptian desert on a Moto Guzzi with a dangerously rogue flywheel. (It shot off into the sand at 60mph.)
The overall effect of his father's war on Ray was a lifelong wariness of moving parts in engines.
He's never serviced his cars.
Episode 9, Richard and Jack
Jack Foster's family story sounds like a Michael Palin Ripping Yarn.
His father fought in the Boar War and his dad and all his uncles played cricket for Worcestershire.
One of his uncles also played for England and scored a record-breaking 287 in his debut match against Australia.
Jack joined the RAF from school and became an ace nightfighter with 604 Squadron (whose commander was John "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham) flying Beaufighters and Mosquitos.
After the war he became a test pilot and was part of a team exploring possibilities of supersonic flight.
Richard brings his father's log books to the interview and reads out entries that include the description of one mission during which Jack shot down three enemy aircraft - in only 50 minutes.
Episode 8, David and Edward
Edward Toms lived to the age of 102 and published his memoirs when he was 100.
Edward and his tank were set on fire during the Battle of Alamein. (He had to roll around in sand to put the flames out and then inject himself with morphine.)
Later in the war he took part in Special Forces raids on Albania.
But during his long life, Edward never forgot the many young comrades who were killed fighting alongside him.
Photographs of these men will appear here soon.
For a flavour of the podcast, try the embedded taster (Episode 1) at the top of this page.
Or hit one of the podcast app buttons beside it to go directly to the series.
Below are descriptions of all other episodes presently available:
Episode 2
Matthew speaks to Brighton-based journalist Murdo Morrison - who grew up on the Isle of Lewis - about his father John's war.
John took part in the Normandy landings (D-Day plus 4).
They explore the huge cultural differences between the baby boomer son and his war vet father.
Episode 3
Matthew speaks to Londoner Andy Trevillion about his father, also called Andy.
Andy Senior's war saw him rescued from Dunkirk; fighting Rommel in the Western Desert; seeing action in Southern Italy; and, after the war, fighting in Greece.
Andy describes his father as "A good bloke, an easy person to be around". But it was only after his death that Andy Junior fully appreciated quite what a toll his father's war experiences had taken.
Episode 4
Matthew speaks to Cumberland farmer Joe Roe about his father John.
Joe was born in 1947 but describes the Second World War "as a thread which has run through my entire life".
John's war took him to France; the Western Desert; Italy; and, afterwards, to Palestine.
When he came home, Joe's father took over the local post office. But, says Joe, "Not a day seemed to go by when the war wasn't mentioned in some way."
The cool dude on the motorcycle is Joe's dad, John.
Episode 5
Richard Hicks' father, Thomas, was a Wellington bomber pilot. He had so many extraordinary, lucky escapes that his crew thought he was in league with the devil (because the devil looks after his own...). They refused to fly with any other pilot.
Matthew and Richard met in prison - when they were working as teachers in HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
Episode 6
Robert Sackville-West talks about his father, Hugh, who won a Military Cross during the liberation of France.
Hugh was in the Tank Regiment but his family didn't learn the full details of his war until after he died.
Episode 7
Eric Grant talks about his father, George Laidlaw, who took 11 bullets after parachuting into Arnhem. (And survived!) He also talks about wartime romance; his adoptive father, George Grant; his mother, Pearl; and a desire to erase wartime history.
Info about Matthew Collins:
Matthew began his career on television.
For 10 years he presented on BBC tv's The Travel Show.
He also presented on other programmes - including Wogan on BBC1.
And (his Alan Partridge moment) he hosted a quiz show for Anglia TV.
He was in a commercial for Schweppes Tonic Water with Elizabeth Hurley and Richard E. Grant. (By far the most impressive thing he's ever done - according to his kids.)
He also raised his children alone.
When they were small, he tried to make a living doing things with his kids.
Such as:
Writing books about their father/son adventures.
Letting the children busk in America. (They made $300 one night in Florida - when they were eight and nine.)
And
Giving talks in the UK and abroad (with the kids in the audience or hiding under a table displaying his books).
Matthew has a degree in French and spent a year as an "assistant d'anglais" in rural South West France.
He speaks fluent French; reasonable Spanish; and some Russian.
He also has an MA in Voice Studies and spent 10 years in Wormwood Scrubs prison (teaching) where he ran 'Speaking Shakespeare' workshops.
Today he runs corporate, social, and public voice workshops. He teaches public speaking. Runs 'Speaking Shakespeare' sessions. And still gives regular talks and speeches.
For more details about Matthew click here.
And to contact him please complete the form below.
Meanwhile, here's a delicate request:
There are many more World War Two Vets' sons out there - with personal-historical reflections to share. Matthew wants to document as many as possible - and put them out as further podcasts.
He's already travelled around the UK recording interviews (20 so far). And will continue to record them, funding the project himself. But he would love support.
So, if you are able to support this podcast (even by contributing the cost of a coffee), you will help to make future episodes. (And keep the audio standards of recordings high.) You will even do a small bit to document World War Two's legacy.
To support this podcast, you can hit the 'Support the Show' button under each episode's blurb on any of the podcast platforms.
Or you can visit Patreon and see 'Membership'.
https://www.patreon.com/c/wesonsofww2vets/