They did that to Lonnie Donegan too - here he is singing the song with "blooming British" - YouTube.

And there was an adjusted version put out too in the UK, with "Rebels" instead of "British" - but I think the record buying public saw this as a bit silly, and preferred the version with "British". (Insofar as patriotic feelings might enter into it I'd imagine the line about "the British kept a-coming" would have clinched it anyway.)