I had a very difficult time for the 30 odd months I spent in the service using the toilet facilities of an army barracks. The commodes were in a long line, and you sat knee to knee with some stranger, or even a friend. In camp, I used to wait and go to the PX where the toilets had doors and walls. On the ship Explorer*, no such luxury. I waited until late in the evening or very early in the morning for a little privacy. I could never get used to company while pooping. To me, it was very dehumanizing. A field toilet in the US was no better. It was a canvas enclosure with three or four narrow slits dug into the earth. You pulled down your pants, straddled and squatted. If the slits were all being used, you shared a slit.
Now the proper etiquette for sharing a slit trench is to face your partner. Why? Because it's hard to poop when you are facing another man's pooper. You can see why many of us practiced bowel retention. My method was to hold my breath, cross my legs, and close my eyes until the urge subsided. If the urge didn't pass, find some clean underwear!
*Editor’s note: while Joe arrived in Britain in May 1944 on the SS Explorer, the main body of the squadron sailed in December 1943 on the Highland Chieftain.