Peter Johnston
@peterajohnston.bsky.social
Director, Narrative and Content at Imperial War Museums. Military historian, museum professional, and frequent explorer of museums, memorials and battlefields. All views here are mine alone
Pinned
India's War: An IWM Collecting project
Find out more about how IWM is looking to increase the representation of the Indian experience of the Second World War within the museum’s collections.
www.iwm.org.uk
IWM has recently launched our India's War collecting project, aiming to improve our representation of the Indian experience of the Second World War within the museum’s collections. More details here:
www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...
Don't understand that 20 minute red card in the IRE Bokke game. It's always foul play, always illegal, no mitigation. So by the laws it has to be a flat red, not a 20 minuter? Rugby's destroying itself by constantly tweaking laws and inconsistently and incoherently applying them
November 22, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Don't understand that 20 minute red card in the IRE Bokke game. It's always foul play, always illegal, no mitigation. So by the laws it has to be a flat red, not a 20 minuter? Rugby's destroying itself by constantly tweaking laws and inconsistently and incoherently applying them
Share a TV series you've watched from beginning to end more than once.
November 19, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Share a TV series you've watched from beginning to end more than once.
Enjoying "French rugby broadcast" bingo tonight as Les Bleus take on the Bokke. In shot focus shift from crowd to player during anthem? Check. Fan with beret and tricolour face paint? Yep. Still waiting on artist painting a watercolour and a bit of French foul play that mysteriously has no replay
November 8, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Enjoying "French rugby broadcast" bingo tonight as Les Bleus take on the Bokke. In shot focus shift from crowd to player during anthem? Check. Fan with beret and tricolour face paint? Yep. Still waiting on artist painting a watercolour and a bit of French foul play that mysteriously has no replay
Fascinating story this. Similar to how in the FWW the British Army used poles and wires from the hops fields to build screens shield the Menin Road and others from reconnaissance or to stop artillery targeting troops and transport build ups
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
November 8, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Fascinating story this. Similar to how in the FWW the British Army used poles and wires from the hops fields to build screens shield the Menin Road and others from reconnaissance or to stop artillery targeting troops and transport build ups
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Vital reading from @ianvisits.co.uk, featuring IWM's seasonal contribution
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/chr...
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/chr...
Christmas jumpers from London’s venues
'Tis fast approaching the season to sit in front of your computer on a video call wearing nothing except a Christmas Jumper.
www.ianvisits.co.uk
November 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Vital reading from @ianvisits.co.uk, featuring IWM's seasonal contribution
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/chr...
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/chr...
I was really excited to join a special tour of Clapham South Deep Level Shelter this afternoon with IWM's patrons. A fascinating history beyond the Second World War, with an afterlife including being a hostel and labour exchange for those on the Windrush, and a hotel for the Festival of Britain
October 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I was really excited to join a special tour of Clapham South Deep Level Shelter this afternoon with IWM's patrons. A fascinating history beyond the Second World War, with an afterlife including being a hostel and labour exchange for those on the Windrush, and a hotel for the Festival of Britain
Thanks to the generosity of the Clore Duffield Foundation we are recruiting a specialist Holocaust curator at IWM. This is an exciting role that'll be responsible for IWM’s internationally significant Holocaust collections and galleries. Details here:
imperialwarmuseums.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
imperialwarmuseums.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
Quick Check Needed
imperialwarmuseums.tal.net
October 27, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Thanks to the generosity of the Clore Duffield Foundation we are recruiting a specialist Holocaust curator at IWM. This is an exciting role that'll be responsible for IWM’s internationally significant Holocaust collections and galleries. Details here:
imperialwarmuseums.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
imperialwarmuseums.tal.net/vx/lang-en-G...
I'm terribly sad to read this. Thoughts with all of Tim's family, friends and colleagues
One of our best is gone
War Museum announces passing of Chief Historian, Dr. Tim Cook
www.newswire.ca/news-release...
War Museum announces passing of Chief Historian, Dr. Tim Cook
www.newswire.ca/news-release...
War Museum announces passing of Chief Historian, Dr. Tim Cook
/CNW/ - The following is a statement issued today by Canadian War Museum and Canadian Museum of History President and CEO Caroline Dromaguet: "The Canadian War...
www.newswire.ca
October 26, 2025 at 9:20 PM
I'm terribly sad to read this. Thoughts with all of Tim's family, friends and colleagues
I'm glad someone penne'd a few lines on this to bring it to wider attention
October 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I'm glad someone penne'd a few lines on this to bring it to wider attention
Plans for a Vienna airlift were also made after Berlin, as Vienna was likewise divided into four but inside the Soviet zone and there were fears it took could be cut off
October 16, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Plans for a Vienna airlift were also made after Berlin, as Vienna was likewise divided into four but inside the Soviet zone and there were fears it took could be cut off
Reposted by Peter Johnston
📣 Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus.
A new exhibition running at the Imperial War Museum between Oct 2025 - March 2026.
I was approached last year to join the advisory panel and have been so delighted to see this project come to fruition.
A new exhibition running at the Imperial War Museum between Oct 2025 - March 2026.
I was approached last year to join the advisory panel and have been so delighted to see this project come to fruition.
October 16, 2025 at 9:34 AM
📣 Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus.
A new exhibition running at the Imperial War Museum between Oct 2025 - March 2026.
I was approached last year to join the advisory panel and have been so delighted to see this project come to fruition.
A new exhibition running at the Imperial War Museum between Oct 2025 - March 2026.
I was approached last year to join the advisory panel and have been so delighted to see this project come to fruition.
Now open at IWM London, our brand new special exhibition Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus. It's fascinating, it's revelatory and it's FREE. Do come and see it!
www.iwm.org.uk/events/emerg...
www.iwm.org.uk/events/emerg...
October 16, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Now open at IWM London, our brand new special exhibition Emergency Exits: The Fight for Independence in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus. It's fascinating, it's revelatory and it's FREE. Do come and see it!
www.iwm.org.uk/events/emerg...
www.iwm.org.uk/events/emerg...
That's a strong early runner in the #MuseumsChristmasJumper cohort
🎅✈️ It’s landed! The 2025 Santa Spitfire Christmas Jumper is now in stock at the RAF Museum and online at rafmuseumshop.com 🎄
Featuring Santa flying a Spitfire with “Tally Ho Ho Ho” across the shoulders — sizes S–XXXL, £35. Don’t miss out!
bit.ly/4q5a3Eg
#RAFMuseum #ChristmasJumper
Featuring Santa flying a Spitfire with “Tally Ho Ho Ho” across the shoulders — sizes S–XXXL, £35. Don’t miss out!
bit.ly/4q5a3Eg
#RAFMuseum #ChristmasJumper
October 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
That's a strong early runner in the #MuseumsChristmasJumper cohort
A reminder for you all that tickets are still available for this excellent event at IWM London on 9 October, where the brilliant Kavita Puri will share insights and stories from her recent podcast series. Do join us if you can! #SWW www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-i...
IWM In Conversation: Kavita Puri | The Second Map
Forgotten histories of the Second World War: the Bengal Famine of 1943 and the war on the Asian FrontJoin journalist and broadcaster Kavita Puri and IWM's Director for Narrative and Content, Peter Joh...
www.iwm.org.uk
October 6, 2025 at 4:07 PM
A reminder for you all that tickets are still available for this excellent event at IWM London on 9 October, where the brilliant Kavita Puri will share insights and stories from her recent podcast series. Do join us if you can! #SWW www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-i...
That Kildunne try was phenomenal, what a player
September 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
That Kildunne try was phenomenal, what a player
I've a feeling we're not in Kansas (City) anymore...
September 25, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I've a feeling we're not in Kansas (City) anymore...
I'm in Kansas City, Missouri this week at the National World War I Museum and Memorial for the annual meeting of our First World War network. Lots of great tours and discussions to be had over the next couple days with colleagues working across all aspects of FWW history
September 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I'm in Kansas City, Missouri this week at the National World War I Museum and Memorial for the annual meeting of our First World War network. Lots of great tours and discussions to be had over the next couple days with colleagues working across all aspects of FWW history
An interesting article to a place I've never previously known about. Would be curious to see it in comparison to the Maginot Line and Ouvrage Hackenberg #SWW
edition.cnn.com/travel/ostwa...
edition.cnn.com/travel/ostwa...
September 18, 2025 at 10:48 AM
An interesting article to a place I've never previously known about. Would be curious to see it in comparison to the Maginot Line and Ouvrage Hackenberg #SWW
edition.cnn.com/travel/ostwa...
edition.cnn.com/travel/ostwa...
Today in 1945 General Seishiro Itagaki surrendered to Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia, at the Municipal Building in Singapore. The Instrument of Surrender was photographed, and the pen used and a flag flown over the Padang are now in IWM's collection #SWW
September 12, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Today in 1945 General Seishiro Itagaki surrendered to Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander in Southeast Asia, at the Municipal Building in Singapore. The Instrument of Surrender was photographed, and the pen used and a flag flown over the Padang are now in IWM's collection #SWW
You know you've got a good seat for an airshow when you see this sign
September 6, 2025 at 6:46 PM
You know you've got a good seat for an airshow when you see this sign
Hands down the great Professor Michael Prestwich at Durham, and his module on sieges. Complete with scale models of trebuchets lobbing marbles and takes of being an expert witness in various legal cases after people were thrown from them
I love this! In the spirit of tangents, do you have a favourite undergrad university lecturer?
I did my undergrad degree at Leeds Uni and was lucky enough to take Prof. Simon Dixon’s modules on Russia during the times of Peter the Great and then Catherine the Great. He was a peerless teacher.
I did my undergrad degree at Leeds Uni and was lucky enough to take Prof. Simon Dixon’s modules on Russia during the times of Peter the Great and then Catherine the Great. He was a peerless teacher.
Yes! Still remember how a senior archaeology professor took a ten minute detour from his lecture to tell us how best to dispose of a body
August 31, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Hands down the great Professor Michael Prestwich at Durham, and his module on sieges. Complete with scale models of trebuchets lobbing marbles and takes of being an expert witness in various legal cases after people were thrown from them
Just seen a trailer for the upcoming Nuremberg movie, with Russell Crowe and Remi Malek #SWW
youtu.be/76N-wgzj8vs?...
youtu.be/76N-wgzj8vs?...
August 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Just seen a trailer for the upcoming Nuremberg movie, with Russell Crowe and Remi Malek #SWW
youtu.be/76N-wgzj8vs?...
youtu.be/76N-wgzj8vs?...
A reminder that on 9 September I'll be hosting an In Conversation event with Kavita Puri at IWM London, hearing all about the making of her recent BBC Sounds podcast, The Second Map, and memory and forgetting in the SWW. Tickets available here:
www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-i....
www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-i....
August 27, 2025 at 9:45 AM
A reminder that on 9 September I'll be hosting an In Conversation event with Kavita Puri at IWM London, hearing all about the making of her recent BBC Sounds podcast, The Second Map, and memory and forgetting in the SWW. Tickets available here:
www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-i....
www.iwm.org.uk/events/iwm-i....
If you haven't heard The Second Map yet, the new The History Podcast on BBC Sounds, I highly recommend it. And not just because I'm in it #SWW www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...
The Second Map - VJ Day podcast to air never-before-heard archival recordings and new testimonies from last remaining veterans
Meet presenter Kavita Puri and some of the contributors from The History Podcast: The Second Map as they explore World War Two’s forgotten front
www.bbc.com
August 17, 2025 at 8:54 PM
If you haven't heard The Second Map yet, the new The History Podcast on BBC Sounds, I highly recommend it. And not just because I'm in it #SWW www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...