The camp forms part of the Tidworth, Netheravon and Bulford (TidNBul) Garrison.

[2][3] After 2nd London Division held their annual camp at Perham Down in 1914,[4] a hutted army camp was built in the village to provide proper accommodation for the training of large military units.

[5] During the Second World War the barracks were used as a training camp by the 99th Infantry Battalion of the United States Army.

[11] The barracks became a specialist centre for armoured engineering, and its name was chosen to commemorate Major-General Sir Ernest Swinton, who was an early advocate of armoured vehicles and responsible for the recruitment and training of the Tank Detachment in 1916, and, later, Colonel Commandant of the Tank Corps.

[12] Extensive reconstruction at the barracks involving new or refurbished buildings was carried out under Project Allenby Connaught between 2006 and 2014.