Annecy, France, 1940 — The situation is critical at the Paccard bell foundry. The Second World War is raging and France has just fallen to the Germans. The Paccard sons are worried because foundries are prime targets for the Nazis. There are fears that they will requisition equipment and materials to manufacture weapons. The Germans had already started seizing bells in other occupied countries and were planning to turn them into guns and shells.

Their factory was sure to draw attention. It had all the equipment needed to produce in large quantities, with between 700 and 800 bells rolling out of the workshop every year. And these weren’t just any bells! Paccard bells were recognized throughout the world for the purity and precision of their sound.

The foundry’s most recent commissions included a carillon of three (3) bells which had just been cast for the Saint-Amélie Church. The bells were ready to be shipped to Canada, but the war had disrupted the foundry’s plans. The bells needed to be kept safe, but how?

This was when one of the Paccard brothers came up with the idea of hiding them underground! A hole was dug in the ground in Annecy where the 2,140 kg of freshly cast bronze could be buried. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to be kept there for too long…