catch a packet

English

Verb

catch a packet (third-person singular simple present catches a packet, present participle catching a packet, simple past and past participle caught a packet)

1. (military, slang, idiomatic) To be fired upon.
   • 1956, George Rock, The History of the American Field Service, 1920-1955, page 436:

     While here last night we caught a packet, and some shrapnel came into our house here. However, no casualties in cars or men.

   • 2016, Peter Hart, Voices from the Front: An Oral History of the Great War:

     From then onwards about every minute we caught a packet from somewhere: 'Crash! Rattle! Bump! Thump!' Eventually there was an even worse one than usual which knocked us all off our perches; […]