In a trench in France in 1917, during a heavy artillery bombardment, two diggers are about to go over the top when a shell lands nearby. They are joined by another soldier, just returned from leave, who conjures a genie from a whiskey bottle and asks him to bring them Napoleon Bonaparte. The diggers discuss the war with Napoleon before another shell explodes nearby, and they are buried under a pile of dirt. When a sergeant major pulls the men free, they continue their discussion with the French emperor. The first two diggers are subsequently sent to a clearing station as shellshock cases, while the third is sent on fatigues.