IT MIGHT be of interest to Philip Roe (Letter, June 15) that the American cut of Dambusters did feature American B-17s and that since 1999 the film when shown on TV has been edited at least three times to remove the original name of the unit’s dog.

Is the name of the dog that important? Surely the point of the film is to demonstrate the resourcefulness, determination and sacrifice of the RAF and thus the British people during a time of significant national threat. It would be great shame if this controversy overshadowed what is essentially a story about British grit.

It should also be remembered that the films are always made for the contemporary audience: a 1950s film was made for a 1950s audience, and remakes of films more often than not are made for a contemporary audience. To suggest this is just a case of political correctness gone mad is perhaps taking the issue a bit too seriously. It seems more a case of changing times, which is not necessarily a bad thing, although I feel I may be shot down for saying such a thing, but that’s political correctness.

Rob Oliver, Crombie Avenue, York.