Portlethen lies five miles to the south of the Scottish city of Aberdeen within sight of the North Sea coast. Formerly a village, it grew into a commuter town for Aberdeen during the oil boom of the late 20th century. The parish church, built in 1834, stands on an elevated site, separated from the town to the east, by the East Coast Railway Line. The parish war memorial, unveiled in April 1920, stands on the west side of the church overlooking the town.
The memorial takes the form of an obelisk in white Kemnay granite , above a three step pediment on a rough hewn granite base. A laurel wreath in relief is on the base of the main south face above the following inscription:
'TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN HEROES 1914 1918'
There are 26 names with units and ranks inscribed on the south face with one on the east face.
2nd Liuet. Jas. Masson, Gordon Highlanders
Sgt. George L. Duthie, Australian I.F.
Sgt. A.D. Marr, M.A., Gordon Highlanders
L.Corpl. Alexr. Craig, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. John W. Barron, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. Robert Calder, Sherwood Foresters
Pte John Craig, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. James Dick, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. Gordon Douglas, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. James Gauld, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. George A. Gray, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. John Leiper, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. Alexr. Spence, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. E.W. Taggart, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. John Tawse, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. Willam Walker, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. John Wood, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. John Wood, Gordon Highlanders
Pte. John Craig, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. R.G. Milne, Seaforth Highlanders
Pte. G. Dempster, H.L.I.
Alexander Main, R.N.R. (T)
George Wood, R.N.R. (T)
John Wood, R.N.R. (T)
Pte. George Thomson, Royal Montreal Regt.
Pte. Peter Hardie, Gordon Highlanders
Major James Masson, R.S.F.
There were a further 10 names added to the west face after WWII.