Peter Watkins
British civil servant
About Peter Watkins
Born 1959.
Peter Derek Watkins, (born 8 February 1959) is a civil servant who served as Director General of the Defence Academy from 2011 to 2014.
Career Educated at Strode's College in Egham and Peterhouse, Cambridge, Watkins joined the Ministry of Defence in 1980. He became Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Defence in 2001, Command Secretary RAF Strike Command in 2004 and Director General Typhoon Programme in 2007. and Director General of the Defence Academy in 2011.
On 8 January 2010 Watkins told the Iraq Inquiry of the complexities of the British withdrawal from Basra in 2009, saying "we should have applied the Balkans principle of in together out together".
Watkins was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2019 New Year Honours.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Peter Watkins's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Peter Watkins's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Peter Watkins?
British civil servant
When was Peter Watkins born?
Peter Watkins was born on 8 February 1959.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Peter Watkins (civil servant)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Watkins. https://biography.guide/peter-watkins-1959/
MLA: "Peter Watkins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-watkins-1959/.
Chicago: "Peter Watkins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-watkins-1959/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:21 UTC