The camp housed various functions, but notably a number of engineering units, and they carried out various work to repair and restore the parish church, which was also the garrison church. The church's wooden font cover was made by Army apprentices at the camp.

The camp played a significant role in World War Two when large numbers of American forces - particularly 5 Division - were stationed there as part of the preparation for D-Day on 6 June 1944.

The army has since left Barton Stacey, and the camp has closed, although the area is occasionally used for exercises. The army still has a live firing range for small arms at Moody's Down, although it's used mainly by young soldiers from the Army Training Regiment based at the Sir John Moore Barracks in Winchester.

The Barton Stacey army camp has been home to many units from before the First World War until the 1980s. It has housed British, Commonwealth, and US forces.

The Army camp itself was closed about 18 years ago, and stood empty for a couple of years before the buildings were all demolished. With the closure of the camp, most of the Army moved out of the quarters in the village, and so the NAAFI fell into disuse and eventually disrepair, and was also demolished about 10 years ago.

In the village itself all the ex-quarters in Roberts Road, and most of those in West Road, Pheasant Close and Partridge Close are privately owned. The Ministry of Defence has retained only a few of the larger properties in West Road, Partridge Close and Pheasant Close.

The site is still owned by the MoD, and is used for exercises - not "live firing", but mainly as for an HQ area, vehicle assembly, despatch and refuelling.

Occasionally large Chinook helicopters are seen dropping off and picking up large loads from the area - perhaps a Land Rover or a huge "bundle" of boxes slung underneath.

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