Collins’s own father also fought in WW2 and said that while his father did talk about his experiences, it was mainly light-hearted things that had happened.
He decided to launch his podcast, external, titled We Sons of World War Two Veterans, to share stories.
“I started wanting to compare notes with other sons to see what the legacy of their fathers’ war was on their own psyche,” the 65-year-old from London explained.
“But also to give sons of men who fought, and women, to pay tribute to their parents — to tell their parents’ story and explore these effects.”
The podcast features 12 episodes and was self-funded.
He said many of the episodes were “emotional” and some of his guests had said it had helped them reflect deeply about their relationships with their fathers.
“We need to constantly remind ourselves that peace, freedom — they’re not givens,” he continued.
“We have to be mindful they have to be maintained at some cost, and the cost of maintaining our freedom during the Second World War was very high.
“I think perhaps baby boomers’ post-war culture meant that some of those sacrifices had been forgotten and now, 80 years after the war ended, in addition to sentimentalising the stories of those people, I think we have to be mindful, that ongoing prosperity and peace is not something we can just take for granted.”