404: How Do the Experiences of War Echo Across Generations?

Guest Matthew Collins is a writer, speaker, and voice coach whose career spans British television, travel writing, prison education, and Shakespeare. A former BBC presenter, he now leads voice and public speaking workshops and teaches Shakespeare to students ranging from ex-prisoners to members of the Women's Institute. His approach is non-academic. He encourages students to explore Shakespearean texts using spoken voice exercises - and to feel the effects they can have on the mind and body. (And soul...)

Matthew also gives entertaining talks. And last year, he launched the podcast "We Sons of World War II Vets," which explores the stories and remembrances of World War II veterans as told to their sons and daughters.

Summary

In this episode, Jeff speaks with Matthew Collins—former BBC presenter, prison educator, and host of We Sons of World War Two Vets—about his podcast where he interviews the sons (and now daughters) of WWII veterans. Sparked by reflections on his own father's wartime experience and the stories left partially untold, Collins began recording conversations with baby boomers whose fathers fought in the war. Although many of these veterans "didn't really talk about it," their children absorbed attitudes shaped by hardship, stoicism, discipline, and emotional restraint.

Matthew explores recurring themes: the cultural gap between pre-war fathers and post-war sons, delayed gratification versus modern immediacy, emotional desensitization born of trauma, and the quiet heroism often discovered only after a parent's death. Through stories ranging from aristocratic war heroes to working-class POWs, Matthew highlights how wartime experiences reverberated across generations—shaping parenting styles, masculinity, and family dynamics.

Ultimately, the project preserves fading history while inviting younger generations to reconsider resilience, community, and the cost of freedom in an era that may no longer take peace for granted.

A key reflection

We often don't fully understand our parents until after they're gone, so try to explore their past now through gentle probes.

Social Media & Referenced

Website: https://www.matthewcollins.com/

Podcast: https://www.matthewcollins.com/we-sons-of-ww2-vets

Elizabeth Keating interview: https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog/338-asking-essential-questions-to-uncover-and-preserve-family-history