The epitaphs of the Great War are the heart of the bereaved, the voice of the thousands of mothers, fathers, wives and children whose next-of-kin died whilst in the service of their country. It is a silent voice, carved in stone at the base of the headstones; a clamour of silent voices, speaking of love, grief, pride, anger, resignation and despair; a voice that packs a punch, all the more so because it's made up of thousands of tightly composed inscriptions, each restricted to a maximum of 66 characters and each attempting to express for all time the final 'hail and farewell'.