The Crypt of St Paul's Cathedral
October 25, 2025
Middlesex Yeomanry Association
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE
The Middlesex Yeomanry Association will mark (Subject to confirmation from St Paul's Cathedral) Lafone Day this year with the traditional service in the Crypt of St Paul's Cathedral at noon (1200 Hrs) on Saturday 25th October 2025.
After the service we plan to have lunch at ta local resturant.
Please let the Membership Secretary know if you will be attending the service and, if you wish to attend the lunch, please can you let him know by the 14th October, so that we can book a suitably large enough table.
CONTEXT
Lafone Day is the Middlesex Yeomanry's annual Memorial Service. It is held on a Saturday close to the 27th October that being the day on which Major Alexander Malins Lafone was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917 whilst commanding B Squadron. Lafone's VC was the first of two awarded to members of the unit in WW1, with the other being awarded to Lt Col Oliver Watson on the 28th March 1918.
The Church of St Martin-within-Ludgate, a short distance from St Paul's Cathedral, is the Middlesex Yeomanry's Regimental Chapel. Every alternate year the Association meets at the Church for a memorial service before moving to the Crypt in the Cathedral.
This year (2023) is the year where we do not gather at St Martins first, so the Association and it's friends will gather at 1200 hrs in the Crypt where we have a short service, Iay a wreath and where the Last Post is sounded. Those attending should access the Crypt via the cafe and shop entrance, on the Paternoster Square side of the Cathedral. Please let security know that you are a Member of the Middlesex Yeomanry Association attending a service at their memorial in the crypt.
The Middlesex Yeomanry's Memorial was designed by Basil Gotto. It is located in the Nelson Chamber of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral. Unveiled in 1906, the plaque commemorated the 55 members of the Middlesex Yeomanry's Imperial Yeomanry companies who were killed in action in the Second Boer war. Subsequently, flanking panels were added for World War I, and a panel underneath for World War II.
To learn more about Maj Lafone's actions on the 27th October 1917, the Royal Signals Museum as a short summary at the following link:
https://www.royalsignalsmuseum.co.uk/on-this-day-27th-october/
and you can read his citation at the following link:
https://vcgca.org/our-people/profile/621/Alexander-Malins--LAFONE
Please let the Membership secretary know if you are attending at:
membership.mya@outlook.com
Please note that you cannot book using the 'Register your interest' button on the RSA website.