​​The memorial was sculpted by Pierre-Marie Poisson in 1922; it was made in 1924. The stone base rises from ground level, where the memorial forms into numerous sculptures of soldiers, men, women, and children. 

​Around the base of the memorial are the names of those who died during the First World War that came from the city of Le Havre. 

​In 1940, war returned to France and the German occupation that followed. Over the coming year, the Western allies targeted the port facilities of Le Havre ,causing significant damage to the area. 

​The memorial remained undamaged, unlike nearly all the buildings that surrounded it in the port area. In September 1944, British forces under the command of the Canadians liberated the city. ​In the coming years, the memorial was then developed with the inclusion of those from the city who were killed during the Second World War. 

​The memorial is 10 metres high and 5 metres in width. It is considered one of the most imposing memorials in all of France.​