The event is named after Greenham, the civil parish where Newbury Racecourse is located.
The Puppy Collective were also variously active participants in events and situations of the period - including a Sid Vicious Memorial March in 1979, the Wapping Autonomy Centre in 1981/2, Centro Iberico Anarchist Centre 1982, the 1982 Stonehenge to Greenham Peace Convoy and the 1983 Stop the City protest and the 1982/3/4 Stonehenge Free festivals.
In 1948 the Americans occupied RAF stations including Fairford, Brize Norton, Burtonwood, Greenham Common, Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Woodbridge to build up a deterrent in Europe against the Soviets.