It selected a site adjacent to a railway embankment close to the Town Hall (renamed the Guildhall in 1926 when Portsmouth was granted city status) and chose the architects James Gibson and Walter Gordon, with sculptural elements by Charles Sargeant Jagger, from an open competition.

Immediately before the war, over 25 per cent of Portsmouth's male working-age population served in the army or the navy and many more were employed in the dockyard.

[4] Portsmouth was also a significant garrison town, with soldiers stationed there for the defence of the south coast and others en route to other points in the British Empire.

In 1914, the 9th Infantry Brigade was barracked in Portsmouth and, at the outbreak of war, formed part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to France.

With the foundation of Kitchener's Army and the call for volunteers, the town and surrounding area raised a further two pals battalions.

The mayor, John Timpson, launched an appeal with a letter to the local newspaper, the Hampshire Telegraph and Post, on 27 December 1918, calling for both donations and suggestions as to the form of a memorial.

To mark the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended hostilities in June 1919, the Royal Navy fired a 101-gun salute off the Portsmouth coast.

Fifty designs were submitted and that of the London architectural firm of James Gibson and Walter Gordon was selected by an assessor from the Royal Institute of British Architects in early 1919.

The contract for the construction work was won by a local firm, but the quote of just under £20,000 (approximately equivalent to £1,137,000 in 2023) exceeded the available budget and the architects were instructed to scale back their design.

As a result, they removed several design elements, including an arch linking the memorial to the railway station, several statues, a fountain, and metalwork.

It consists of a semicircular sunken recess, known as an exedra, with a screen wall 20 ft (6 m) high, creating a separate precinct.

On the left-hand side (when viewed from the front) is a naval gun crew loading a shell, and on the right is a group of marching soldiers.

[1] Alan Borg, an art historian and museum curator, described Jagger's sculpted figures guarding the entrance to the memorial as an "interesting and effective version of the soldier in action".

[24] Historic England described the memorial as "an eloquent tribute to the servicemen and women of Portsmouth, and the sacrifices they made during the First World War" and praises its "distinguished design" and architectural interest in bringing together multiple "high-quality elements in a harmonious whole, creating a memorial of unusual dignity and power".

It praises Jagger's sculptural work, describing it as "accomplished and animated sculpture" and noting the realism for which Jagger was famed and his "ability to evoke the physical reality of war", and notes its group value with other historic buildings in the area, including the Guildhall, the University of Portsmouth buildings, and the statue of Queen Victoria, as well as Victoria Park, which is a registered historic park.

[12][26] In the 1970s, Guildhall Square was redeveloped and the war memorial was reduced in size slightly from an oval shape to a round one and some elements were rearranged to fit.

[30] In the 21st century, Portsmouth continues to be dominated by the Royal Navy and the dockyard, although downsized, still plays a vital part in city life.

The memorial remains the focal point for the annual Remembrance Sunday services in the city, which are well attended, including by representatives of the armed forces.