A war story in numbers

Standing With Giants comprises 1,476 black metal silhouettes on a grassy slope looking over Gold Beach in Normandy. Each silhouette represents a life lost under British command on D Day.

There are soldiers, sailors, airmen, nurses, radio operators, and members of the French Resistance. There are some plaques nearby naming individuals, but the names aren't linked to specific figures. The only story here is the number: 1,476.

It's the same at the US Cemetery: 9,389.

The stories of the individuals come entirely from the imaginations of visitors to these remarkable memorials.

When the numbers are so overwhelming, the best kind of story is sometimes the one that doesn't have to be told.