Southampton Common played a significant role during both World Wars, hosting military personnel from various nations. While predominantly associated with the Second World War, huts were also utilised during the First World War, accommodating servicemen from Britain, America, Canada, Poland, France, Holland, and Czechoslovakia.

At one point, a large Prisoner of War camp, one of the largest in the southern region, was established on The Avenue, enclosed by barbed wire and identifiable by the distinctive patches worn by its inmates.

During the early stages of the Second World War, a substantial hutment was constructed on the Common to shelter military members, serving as a temporary home for many servicemen. Following the war, these huts were occupied by squatters.

By the early 1950s, the local governing body initiated a three-year project to rehouse the occupants and demolish the makeshift dwellings, aiming to provide more suitable living conditions. This initiative successfully relocated 204 families. The final hut was dismantled on January 30, 1953, with Ann Gosling and her two sons being the last residents to move to their new home in Maybush.

The removal of the last hut marked the end of an era, erasing the most visible reminders of the armies and families who had lived through challenging times.

What remained were the physical scars on the landscape — torn grass, brick rubble, and debris-filled drainage trenches.

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To restore the area, authorities pledged to seek compensation from the Ministry of Housing.

These funds were earmarked for the refurbishment of the east side of Southampton Common.