In June 1940, it was decided that ringing bells for other reasons than alarming a German invasion would be banned. Suddenly, all the bells of the United Kingdom got quiet.
Ringing bells for important events such as victories had happened before. Therefore, the bells rang exceptionally for the victory at El Alamein in 1942, and for Christmas and Easter. In June 1943, as the war turned in favour of the Allies, and an invasion was now very unlikely, the ban was lifted.

In St Margaret's, Johnstone, lived a German-born priest, Fr Aloysius Reifenrath, who was known to "like his bells". When he became parish priest at St Margaret's in 1924, Fr Louis (as he was nicknamed due to "the length and difficulty of his full name"*) decided that a belfry was necessary. The bell "rang out the Angelus and summoned the people to Holy Mass and Benediction."*

The story has it that when the ban was implemented, Fr Reifenrath refused to follow it and continued to ring the bell. The matter was so grave that it was even brought up at the Parliament!