Mercat Tours International

30/03/2023

Back to the battlefields to inspire empathy and compassion! 🌹

Today we're headed to Belgium for our second battlefields tour of the year with The High School of Glasgow and our friends Bibby's of Ingleton Ltd.

It's been great meeting parents and teachers to share more information about our WWI tours this month, and we look forward to seeing more of you throughout the year.

Plenty more to come, so watch this space.

13/02/2023

13/02/2023

Delighted to be back and here’s to many more indeed. Thanks Hooge Crater museum and Bibby's of Ingleton Ltd!

04/12/2022

During the MTI team's recent visit to Belgium, we stopped by the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.

It's the final resting place of Staff Nurse Nellie Spindler. Nellie applied to join the Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service in October of 1915, during . She was only 24 at the time, while the age to join was 25.

It's thought that she may have lied about her age so that she could serve. Tragically, Nellie lost her life just a couple of years later, in 1917, when her station was attacked. However, there's no doubt that she saved many lives during her service.

16/11/2022

This week the MTI team are visiting Belgium and catching up with our pals at Hooge Crater museum, Flanders Fields 14-18, Visit Flanders, Peace Village, Menin Gate Accommodation for groups, Brouwerij Kazematten, Bibby's of Ingleton Ltd, Talbot House, and more!

It's been great to see so many familiar faces again as we look forward to the year ahead.

Have you booked yet? Get in touch or sign up to our newsletter for all the latest ➡️ bit.ly/MTINewsletter

11/11/2022

Today marks , the anniversary of the day the Armistice was signed to end in 1918.

It's always a touching moment on our tours when a member of the team, or a visitor, can stop to pay their respects to a family member who served in WWI or WWII.

To mark the date, Linda, a member of the Mercat Tours team, is sharing the story of her great-great uncle James Blane North's service in the First World War.

Read James' story here ➡️ bit.ly/JamesBlaneBlog

We will remember them. 🌹

07/10/2022

We're hiring Battlefield Tour Guides!

We're looking for individuals with knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and a desire to help young people learn about the World Wars.

Benefits include:
- Competitive rates
- Accommodation & meals provided
- A welcome to an enthusiastic and passionate team

Applications close October 21st, apply now!
➡️ mercattoursinternational.com/vacancies

11/09/2022

We're thrilled to share that we're sold out for May, June, and July 2023.

It won't be long before we're back on the battlefields again, sharing the stories of those who fought in & . Thank you to everyone who has kept connected with us. This photo is just one small reminder of why we do what we do.

If you would like to book for Aug - Oct 2023, or 2024 onwards, please get in touch for a non-obligatory quote: bit.ly/MTIGetintouch

We will remember them.

31/07/2022

On the night of the 30th of July in 1916, James Miller of the Royal Lancaster Regiment died while delivering a crucial letter across the battlefield.

He was critically shot and wounded upon leaving the trench but continued forward, hand over wound, to deliver the message and return with the reply.

If you've joined our battlefield tours, you've likely visited James' grave with us - he was awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery.

We will remember them.

17/07/2022

Have you heard of the Heroine of Loos?

Émilienne Moreau lived in France. In 1915 of WWI, the Scottish Black Watch battalion arrived to counter Germany’s advancement. Émilienne, who was only 17 at the time, went to meet them and provided them with key information.

This helped the Black Watch to plan their strategy and endure fewer casualties. However, Émilienne’s assistance did not end there. She also set-up a first-aid post in her home with the help of a Scottish doctor and assisted in saving the life of a Scottish soldier by throwing explosives at the attackers alongside British army men.

Émilienne was awarded several French and British war medals. These included the Croix de Guerre 1914-1918, Croix du Combatant, the Military Medal, the Royal Red Cross (first class) and the Venerable Order of Saint John.

26/06/2022

If you've been on our Battlefield Tours then you may have visited Hill 60 with us in Ypres, Belgium.

This pillbox located there is over 100 years old and was used by soldiers during !

We look forward to taking you to visit again in the near future.

12/06/2022

Have you heard the story of George Wilson?

Discover the story of a lost Machine Gunner and the search for his headstone in the latest Mercat Tours International blog from Iain McRobbie.

Read here ➡️ bit.ly/3xGjOQ9

29/05/2022

Have you heard of the ten Gile's brothers? All ten fought during , six survived.

The youngest brother, Stanley, was just 15 years old when he joined the battle. He lied about his age - eager to join his older siblings. Read their full story here ➡️ bit.ly/WWI10Brothers

IN the extensive archives of military history, the story of the Giles family somehow escaped attention when, by any measure, it deserved a chapter all of its own. For this remarkable brood from Kent provided a record-breaking 10-strong band of brothers who all served in the First World War.

13/05/2022

We've supported the Statue for Elsie Inglis campaign since 2017, and today, we're happy to say it's almost a reality!

Elsie changed lives during by establishing the Scottish Women's Hospitals. Now, The Statue for Elsie Inglis community has raised £50,000, which will see Elsie Inglis remembered outside the maternity hospital she founded for the city's poor on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

Join the Elsie Inglis Facebook group for all the latest updates and of course, we'll share them with you here too!

👉 bit.ly/ElsieGroup

01/05/2022

Those who have visited 's Princes Street Gardens will have seen this statue of Wojtek.

The bear was bought as a cub and assisted allied soldiers during , often helping to carry ammunition. When the war ended he was brought to the Scottish capital where he finally retired at Edinburgh Zoo.

Can you name any other animals that assisted in the war effort?

26/04/2022

📢Let's get back to the trenches!

2023 bookings are now open!

Full details in our latest newsletter below 👇

https://t.co/rsh2E4AlR1

Therefore we've worked with all our suppliers to protect schools, students and their families from the inevitable changes to travel wherever we can.

24/04/2022

Have you ever visited the Cloth Hall in Ypres, Belgium?

You might remember its story if you’ve been on our tours. It was one of the largest commercial buildings during the Middle Ages, completed in 1304.

However, in 1915 during WWI it was tragically damaged and reduced to ruins.

It took many years to rebuild, but the Cloth Hall was reconstructed almost exactly as it was. Today it’s home to the Flanders Museum which we hope to visit with you again soon.

09/04/2022

Here’s a very green photo of the Lochnagar Mine Crater in France, taken one summer on our battlefield tours.

It’s the largest man-made crater on the Western Front, resulting from an explosion.

The bang was so loud that it’s said to have been heard from London! The falling debris also created a 15ft high lip, which helped to protect advancing British troops.

We look forward to visiting with you in person again soon to share its story.

24/03/2022

If you've ever been to Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, then you may have spotted this bench dedicated to James McPhie.

James was a recipient of the Victoria Cross during . He worked on a cork float bridge as part of a group. Infantry began crossing it just before dawn but it began to break.

James jumped into the water and tried to hold the bridge together so everyone could cross, eventually swimming back to get repair materials. They came under heavy fire but James led the way across despite becoming severely wounded.

Several places in Edinburgh commemorate him including this bench, a memorial stone on the corner of Brown Street, and a plaque in St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church.

We will remember them.

20/03/2022

On this day in 1929 Ferdinand Foch passed away.

He was a French general and military theorist who served as Supreme Allied Commander during .

Although he has received criticism for how he handled other campaigns, Foch is credited with helping to organise a war-winning counter-attack in the final year of WWI named the Hundred Days Offensive, which helped lead the Allies towards victory.

We will remember them.

13/03/2022

Lots has been happening this month to see a statue erected in memory of Elsie Inglis.

From "sit stills" in 's meadows to walking tours. Learn how to get involved on the 'A Statue for Elsie Inglis' FB group. We've supported the campaign since 2017!

👉 bit.ly/ElsieGroup

27/02/2022

As spring approaches we’re reminded of the Pool of Peace in Belgium.

We would usually visit the site as part of our battlefield tours. The serene location symbolizes new beginnings and formed out of a crater created by the largest of 19 mine explosions that signaled the Messines phase of the 3rd Battle of Ypres.

We hope to visit with you to share its story again soon.

11/02/2022

Today is Women and Girls in Science Day.

To mark the special day here's our blog on three remarkable women from the World Wars, including Marie Curie, the inventor of X-rays.

Do you know her story? ➡️ bit.ly/3LmfFpb

04/02/2022

Elsie Inglis changed lives in Scotland and across the world.

One of her greatest accomplishments was the founding of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals who treated soldiers across the battlefields during . It didn't come easily either, Elsie had to fight prejudice and societal beliefs at the time to get there. We have campaigned for a statue of her since 2018.

Learn about her life in this blog 👉bit.ly/3IYw1m5

A look at Dr Elsie Inglis' informative years from her birth in India to her move to India & how she became involved in the first world war.

30/01/2022

If you've been on our tour we're certain you'll recognise this memorial which stands 27 meters tall!

It's the Vimy Ridge memorial located in France.
It commemorates 11,000 men from the Canadian Expeditionary Force and is the largest of eight Canadian and five Newfoundland memorial sites in both France and Belgium.

We hope to visit with you again soon!

23/01/2022

Something that's common across the battlefields of are craters like this.

In some areas there are so many in such close proximity that the ground appears warped. The craters were caused by shells from those battling on both sides of the war.

It's estimated that over 1.5 billion shells were dropped during the First World War. Despite over a century having gone by, they continue to be unearthed today.

13/01/2022

to this video of our founder and guide, Des, on one of our tours in 2012.

It moves us to hear the students share their thoughts on the experience. We hope to return with you again, once it's safe to do so.

https://youtu.be/mUuPPZqsE_M

Step inside the boots and minds of soldiers with this World War One Battlefields film by Rumble TV. This is to be used in schools and on You Tube to raise aw...

06/01/2022

" marks a significant period in history, not just because of the horrors of war, but because it changed how we live today.

Life was fundamentally different after the Great War, and in ways that might surprise. It led to advancements in technology, medicine, and women’s rights".

Learn more about changes brought on by WWI on the MTI blog 👉 bit.ly/3aOY2N6

In this blog we take a look at the advances that were made during World War One. From medicine to technology, women's' rights to health.

01/01/2022

Happy New year!

While sadly we weren't able to return to the battlefields in 2021, we're sure there will be some new things to see when we do return.

For example the new Normandy memorial in France and Thiepval's new digital exhibit. Do you have anything to add to the list?