404: How Do the Experiences of War Echo Across Generations?
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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
Matthew’s book recommendation: Albert Speer: His Battle with the Truth. https://a.co/d/05rvyEdv
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
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"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.