Peter Johnston is the Head of Collections and Research at the Royal Air Force Museum in London, a position that requires him to be an active researcher and work with the academic and military communities, and get to play with really cool airplane stuff! Before joining the RAF Museum, Peter was the Head of Collections, Research, and Academic Access at the National Army Museum in London (where he also got to play with really cool stuff!). He has also worked as a researcher for the Centre for Social Justice, and his work primarily involved researching governmental policies and their impact on UK veterans as they transitioned back into civilian life. Peter also served as a research assistant for the British Library’s Propaganda, Power, and Persuasion exhibit back in 2013. He’s a teacher as well. He held a visiting lecturer position at the University of Westminster and was an assistant lecturer at the University of Kent. Peter earned his undergraduate and MA degrees in History at the University of Durham and then a PhD at the University of Kent. His doctoral dissertation examined the British armed forces in the Falklands War.
Peter’s first book, British Forces in Germany, 1945-2019: The Lived Experience was published in 2019. He has also published on propaganda associated with military recruitment and museum collections. Peter has a considerable media presence, and his commentary has been featured on BBC, in The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Express, BBC Breakfast, and Good Morning Britain.
You can follow Peter on Twitter @PeteAJohnston. Peter’s roles as a researcher and a curator give him some valuable insight into what’s going on with military history and public history, and we’re thrilled to have him joining us from across the pond. So join us for a truly fascinating chat that involves Spitfires, Airfix Kits, Chinooks, Six Nations Rugby, the Bekonscot Model Village, and, of course, the BBQ Question!
Postscript - Peter delighted in Italy's victory over Wales in the Six Nations Rugby!
Rec.03/16/2022
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