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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: Episode 12 - Robin and Ron
Classical music conductor, Robin Page, talks about his dad, Ron, who was shipwrecked twice before reaching Singapore on the day it fell to the Japanese.
Ron became a prisoner of war - held by the Japanese in Changi Jail and in the "Death Railway" camps.
He witnessed much savagery and death.
And finally arrived home in 1946, his body and his faith in human nature diminished.
Most Popular This Week: Episode 5 - Richard and Thomas
As a school boy, Thomas Hicks made a trip to pre-war Nazi Germany. He met members of the Hitler Youth and was impressed by the seemingly happy German people.
"But," says son Richard, "Dad had no idea what was happening behind the scenes... And only a few years later, he was a bomber pilot."
More details about these (and all other) 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:
And this is him at 21, only four years later, when he was in the Middle East:
Patrick returned home in 1946 at the age of 24. He was more mature in many ways than Matthew was at 40.
But he 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. Twelve episodes are now available and the latest features classical music conductor, Robin Page, talking about his father Ron - a prisoner of war held by the Japanese.
The next episode will feature an Australian soldier's son.
Matthew is still looking for sons of Axis fighters.
But, following demand, this year he'll also 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/
Matthew will be running a Speaking Shakespeare's Soldiers workshop in July (details to follow).
But on 25th June, he's putting on a Speaking Shakespeare's Sonnets workshop in the Brompton Cemetery chapel (5.45pm to 7.45pm). Tickets are £15pp. To book, please visit Eventbrite here:
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 - June 2026 - is about the boys in the desert.)
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.