BILL Clinton's tribute to the wartime efforts of Horsforth folk should bring an end to the latest transatlantic battle for the HMS Aubretia.

The President's letter rightly acknowledges the role played by her brave crew during the war -- and the part Horsforth people played in raising in just one week in 1941 the £241,000 needed to build the Aubretia.

Hollywood is about to make a movie in which the HMS Aubretia is substituted by an American ship with an American crew during her key battle that helped to change the course of the 1939-45 war.

It is only right that the President himself should correct this denigration of our history. The fact still remains that the bravery of the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic -- and the role of the Aubretia -- is still being purposefully ignored by Hollywood film-makers.

Universal Pictures is apparently putting an acknowledgement of the British effort in the end credits of the film. However, this should be prominently shown at the start of the movie, not stuck away at the end.

Surely it would have been easier for Universal to come up with a fictional battle -- or even one the Americans were involved in -- instead or trying to twist history. Or is it that seeing we Brits in battle doesn't make good box office?

The movie is typical Hollywood popcorn fodder aimed at making big bucks and massaging the American public's already king-sized egos. There's no attempt to to be true to the brave crew of the Aubretia. Movie moguls are still belittling our achievements.

Now we're left with Hollywood's Americanised version of events -- and the sour taste in our mouth that one of the major turning points in the war was down to dear old Uncle Sam. Horsforth MP Paul Truswell's campaign to get some recognition for the Navy should be praised -- without it there would not even be an acknowledgement in the film's credits.

The Royal Navy and Horsforth people can be rightly proud of their achievements. Bill Clinton's letter does not tell us anything we don't already know, but it is, at least, an acknowledgement from our friends across the Atlantic of our role.

Hollywood can distort the truth, but it can never take it away from us.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.