The fourth episode of Masters of the Air goes beyond Thorpe Abbotts to tell the escape narrative of Sgt. William Quinn. Through Bob, a character who makes one subtle revelation about himself, the show briefly explores the world of German espionage.
In the third episode, Quinn had to flee when his jet suffers significant damage while on the risky Regensburg mission. Quinn flees to Belgium, where he is presented with an option, after failing to save Babyface from the turret gunner hatch. He has two options: risk his life to escape, or end up as a Prisoner.
Episode 4 depicts his runaway. Meeting with the Belgian nationals who will assist Quinn in leaving the nation is his first task. Upon his arrival, he discovers that Sgt. Bailey and Bob, an unidentified soldier, are also trying to flee. The Belgians put the three guys to the test.
First, it asks for standard information like names and CO numbers, but the Belgians swiftly veer the question when they ask about Babe Ruth and demand that the guys perform the US National Anthem. Shortly after, as the gang makes their way to safety, Bob is killed by the Belgians for being a spy.
How They Were Aware Bob appeared in Masters of the Air as a German spy?
Given the Belgian test’s initial unpredictability, it might be challenging to figure out how Bob revealed his identity as a German spy. He could sing the National Anthem with pride and accuracy, and he had an American accent. It all boils down to the last moment of the exam, when Bob scribbled the date.
Although Masters of the Air doesn’t explicitly say that this was the big clue, it seems like a plausible explanation. Declaring they are never incorrect, the Belgians respond to Quinn and Bailey’s demands for an explanation for Bob’s death by saying they are convinced he was German.
Bob might have answered incorrectly on a few additional minor questions during his entire exam, leading the Belgians to assume he was German. Ultimately, Bob’s date provided viewers with the most evidence that he was an undercover agent.
Though Bob’s escape from Belgium is unrecorded, indicating that he is a fictional character, the reality of German spies is undeniable, and Bob’s circumstances may have arisen during World War II. German spies were infiltrating various areas of the battlefield even prior to America’s entry.
The FBI claims that the week following Pearl Harbor, a whole network of German spies known as the Duquesne Spy Ring was busted for espionage. In this sense, people like Bob from Masters of the Air were very real and very dangerous, even though he may not have been.