The shells occasionally made direct hits upon the trenches.

I came upon a place once which was terribly messed about, and two men were sitting by roaring with laughter.

They said their dinner was all prepared in their dugout, and they had gone off to get some wood for the fire, when a shell landed and knocked their home into ruins.

They were preparing to dig for their kit and so much of their dinner as would still be eatable.

As they took the whole matter as a joke, I joined with them in the laugh.