William Peter Winston was born on 21 Jul 1914 in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. He was educated at the Liverpool Institute, Ashton-in-Makerfield Grammar School, and Kingswood School, Bath, before proceeding to the Department of Municipal Engineering at Manchester University. He graduated with a B.Sc. Tech. (Hons.) in 1935, and worked for two years as Assistant Engineer to the City Engineer of Hull.

In Dec 1937, Winston joined the Colonial Service and was posted to the Public Works Department of Pontian and then to Johore Bahru in the Malay State of Johore. There, he served as Engineer-in-Charge until the Japanese occupation of Malaya (Malaysia) in Feb 1942. During this time, he was also Treasurer and Secretary of St. Christopher's Church, Johore Bahru, and before leaving Malaya (Malaysia), he handed over the business affairs of the church to the Venerable Graham White, Archdeacon of Singapore, who later died during internment by the Japanese. For the rest of the war, Winston served in 151 Indian Railway Construction Company, which he ultimately commanded. He was promoted Captain in Jul 1944 and acting Major in 1945. The company was employed principally on construction of the Rangapahar Base in Assam.

At the end of the war, Winston transferred to the British Military Administration of Malaya (Malaysia). In 1956, he was made a Councillor of State to the Sultan of Kedah (see MSS. Ind. Ocn. t. 9). After Malayan Independence, he remained as State Engineer for Kedah and Perlis. On 22 Aug 1959, he married Dr Thora Oehlers, a doctor in the school health service in Singapore, and shortly afterwards retired from the Colonial Service.